-NRLF 


3058 
V4 
1883 
MAIN 


r-'x 


Chile. 


Chile 


cPt_  „^,,..:c,^     I^S-3^ 


Times  Printing  House,  725  and  727  Chestnut  Street,  Philadelphi; 


M-i)   ^^3 


Bancroft    Library 

University  of  C«li<orni« 

WITHDRAWN 


CHILE. 


BOUNDARIES. 


The  Republic  of  Chile,  which  during  the  last  few  years 
has  justly  attracted  the  attention  of  the  world  by  its  energy 
both  in  peace  and  in  war,  occupies  the  narrow  strip  of  coun- 
try lying  along  the  southwestern  part  of  South  America, 
between  the  Andes  Mountains  and  the  Pacific  Ocean.  It 
extends  from  the  Camarones  River,  in  19°  12'  30"  south  lati- 
tude, to  Cape  Horn,  in  latitude  55°  59'.  Its  boundaries,  then, 
are  the  Andes  on  the  east,  the  Pacific  on  the  south  and  west, 
and  the  Camarones  River  on  the  north,  separating  it  from 
Peru.  The  boundary  treaty,  made  with  the  Argentine  Repub- 
lic October  22,  188 1,  terminated  a  long  controversy  concerning 
the  dividing  line  between  the  two  countries,  and  gave  to  Chile 
the  greater  part  of  Terre  del  Fuego  Island  and  all  the  Straits 
of  Magellan.  The  new  boundary  line  takes  Cape  Virgin  on 
the  Atlantic  (Dunguenes  Point)  for  its  starting  point,  running 
directly  south  to  the  ocean,  and  west  to  the  summit  of  Mt. 
A)'mon,  thence  along  the  northern  shore  of  the  Straits  of 
Magellan  to  where  it  intercepts  the  5 2d  parallel  of  latitude 
in  longitude  70°  west.  Thence  the  line  follows  the  Summit 
of  the  Andes  to  the  northern  extremity  of  the  two  countries. 
The  boundary  lines  between  Chile  and  Bolivia  and  Peru  have 
not  yet  been  definitely  settled  by  treaty.  In  June,  1882,  the 
Chilean  administration  submitted  to  Congress  a  bill  making 
the  Camarones  River  the  boundary,  thus  annexing  the  rich 
Peruvian  Tarapaca,  and  all  the  sea-coast  of  Bolivia,  which 
formerly  extended  from  the  24th  parallel  north  to  the  Loa 
River,  which  separated  Bolivia  from  Peru. 

{3) 


A  lower  range  of  mountains,  called  the  Cordilleras  of  the 
Coast,  runs  parallel  with  the  loftier  Andes,  and  walls  in  the 
great  central  plain,  leaving  only  narrow  passes  for  the  rivers 
which  descend  from  the  Andes. 

The  area  of  Chile  in  1879  was  229,304  square  miles;  but 
now,  with  the  additional  territory  provisionally  occupied  and 
perhaps  permanently  annexed,  it  is  about  300,000  square 
miles. 

TOPOGRAPHY. 

The  narrow,  fertile  strip  of  land  which  forms  the  terri- 
tory of  this  small  but  energetic  nation,  may  be  regarded  as 
the  skirt  of  the  Andes,  sloping  rapidly  towards  the  Pacific,  and 
traversed  by  numerous  rivers  which  fertilize  it,  and  which,  if 
not  navigable  on  account  of  the  swiftnest  of  their  currents, 
yet  offer  an  invaluable  motive  force  for  all  the  modern  indus- 
tries which  need  for  their  propulsion  a  cheap  power.  The 
natural  declivity  of  the  country  will  produce,  in  a  few  hundred 
yards,  fall  enough  for  the  largest  wheels.  The  peculiarity  of 
this  territory,  aside  from  the  diversity  of  its  climate,  which 
varies  from  that  of  the  tropics  to  that  of  the  antarctic  regions, 
is  the  variety  of  its  geological  and  topographical  structure, 
wrought  out  by  the  two  great  natural  forces,  the  Cordilleras 
and  the  ocean. 

The  first  or  northern  section  or  zone,  which  includes  the  old 
provinces  of  Atacama  and  Coquimbo  to  the  Aconcagua  River 
and  the  territories  of  Antofogasta  and  Tarapaca  recently 
acquired,  is  composed  for  the  most  part  of  sterile  lands  covered 
with  sea-sand,  but  prodigiously  rich  in  minerals.  This  may 
be  justly  denominated  the  mineral  rjonc.  The  province  of 
Coquimbo  alone  produces  one-fifth  of  all  the  copper  consumed 
in  the  world.  The  province  of  Atacama  has  exported  and  is 
exporting  as  much  silver  as  Potosi  in  Bolivia,  Guanajuato  in 
Mexico,  and  Nevada  in  the  United  States  together  ;  while 
Taltal,  Antofogasta  and  Tarapaca  are  able  to  supply  all  the 
markets  of  the  world  with  saltpetre,  borax  and  gypsum.  All 
the  northern  part  of  Chile  is  rich  in  minerals,  and  its  scanty 
rivers  have  l)een  abundant  in  gold. 


The  second  zone  which  commences  at  the  Aconcagua 
River  and  extends  to  the  Bio-Bio,  called,  on  account  of  its 
length,  breadth  and  historic  fame,  "  the  King  of  Chilean 
rivers,"  may  be  denominated  the  agricullnral  section  or  central 
plain  {llano).  It  is  formed  of  a  series  of  extensive,  almost 
level,  valleys,  which  give  every  appearance  of  once  having 
served  as  basins  for  great  lakes,  whose  waters,  on  retiring, left 
rich  deposits  of  soil  brought  down  from  the  mountains, 
and  which  to-day  yield  such  abundant  crops  of  cereals.  In 
these  old  sea-bottoms  are  found  fossil  remains  of  extinct 
animals,  relics  of  primitive  man,  and  rare  fragments  of  the  age 
of  stone.  This  section  includes  the  provinces  of  Valparaiso, 
Aconcagua,  Santiago,  Colchagua,  Talca,  Maule,  Nublc, 
Linares  and  Concepcion.  After  passing  the  Maule,  the  cen- 
tral valleys  do  not  have  the  same  lake-basin  form  as  those  ju>  t 
to  the  north. 

The  mean  breadth  of  these  valleys  is  from  75  to 
100  miles,  and  counting  from  the  Andes  to  the  Pacific 
it  is  from  150  to  180  miles.  The  total  length  of  the  territorv 
from  the  Camarones  River  to  Cape  Horn  is  a  little  over  thirty- 
six  degrees,  or  nearly  2,500  miles. 

The  third  zone,  which  extends  from  the  Bio- Bio  to  the 
Tolten  River,  has  been  occupied  by  the  indomitable  Arauca- 
nian  Indians,  who,  to  the  number  of  thirty  or  forty  thousand, 
live  as  the  Apachas  of  the  north,  without  submitting  to  the 
laws  of  civilization.  Araucania  forms  the  most  beautiful  and 
fertile  part  of  Chile.  The  white  race  is  rapidly  encroaching 
on  these  fertile  lands.  The  frontier  line,  which  was  formerly 
at  the  Bio-Bio,  has  been  carried  to  the  Malleco,  sixty  miles 
to  the  south,  and  an  effort  is  being  made  to  extend  it  to 
the  Imperial  or  Cautin  River,  which  divides  Araucania 
in  the  centre.  At  the  south  an  effort  is  making  to 
advance  from  Valdivia  to  the  Tolten  River,  thus  closing  in 
these  unconquered  tribes  between  this  river  and  the  Cautin. 
In  this  way  these  savage  tribes  will  be  reduced  to  the  extremity 
of  finally  submitting  to  governmental  control,  or  of  escaping  to 
the  pampas  (plains)  of  the  Argentine  Republic,  through  the 
narrow  mountain  passes  which  that  country  has  already  begun 


to   fortify.     The  destiny    of  the   Araucanians  is  as   certainly 
sealed  as  is  that  of  the  "  red  skins  "  of  the  United  States. 

The  fourth  zone  of  the  orography  and  hydrography  ot 
Chile  includes  the  system  of  lakes  not  yet  drained  by  plutonic 
action,  as  were  those  at  the  north.  Of  these  the  Andina  lake 
Villa  Rica,  the  source  of  the  Tolten  River,  is  the  most  pic- 
turesque, and  Lake  Llanquihue,  thirty  miles  in  from  the  coast,  is 
the  largest.  This  zone  includes  all  the  southern  end  of  Chile, 
and  is  likewise  the  section  of  the  great  primitive  forests. 


The  climate  of  these  sections  has  the  same  variety  as  their 
latitudes.  In  the  deserts  of  Antofogasta  and  Atacama  it  never 
rains  except  at  intervals  of  many  years ;  at  Coquimbo  and 
Copiapo  only  four  or  five  inches  of  rainfall  during  the  year. 
In  the  central  section  the  fall  is  about  thirty  inches,  and  in  the 
lake  region  sixty  to  eighty  inches.  It  is  a  common  saying  in 
Chiloe  and  Valdivia,  as  in  Boston,  that  "  it  rains  thirteen  months 
in  the  year."  In  general  the  climate  of  Chile  is  mild,  healthful, 
and  delicious.  No  venomous  insects  are  known,  nor  any  fero- 
cious animals  ;  nor  has  the  country  ever  been  visited  with 
cholera,  yellow  fever,  black  erysipelas,  or  any  other  contagious 
disease  except  small-pox.  The  ravages  of  this  disease  are  due 
not  to  the  climatic  conditions  of  the  country,  but  to  the  care- 
less and  filthy  habits  of  the  lower  race  of  people,  the  inefficiency 
of  the  sanitary  regulations  and  lack  of  energy  on  the  part  of 
the  authorities.  The  House  of  Deputies  has  just  rejected  (July,. 
1882)  a  bill  for  obligatory  vaccination,  which  had  passed  the 
Senate  unanimously  a  month  earlier.. 

If  it  were  not  for  the  constant  drain  caused  by  this  disease 
among  the  lower  classes,  and  the  fearful  mortality  of  children, 
which  reaches  the  incredible  proportion  of  seventy-five  per 
cent,  of  the  births,  it  is  the  common  opinion  that  Chile  would 
have  a  population  of  five  or  six  millions ;  that  is  to  say,  double 
or  treble  its  present  number.  When  all  its  productive  territory 
is  inhabited,  Chile  will  sustain  a  population  of  from  sixteen  to 
twenty  million  people. 


The  winter  months  are  June,  July,  and  August ;  the  spring 
months,  September,  October,  and  November;  the  summer 
months,  December,  January,  and  February ;  and  the  autumn 
months,  March,  April,  and  May.  In  the  central  part  of  the 
country,  where  are  situated  Santiago,  in  the  great  mountain 
valley  at  the  foot  of  the  Andes,  and  at  Valparaiso,  the  principal 
port,  it  seldom  rains,  except  during  the  winter  months.  All 
the  harvesting  north  of  the  Bio-Bio  is  done  in  the  open  air,  as 
in  Italy  and  California. 

The  mean  temperature  at  Santiago  and  Valparaiso,  in 
latitude  33°,  corresponds  to  that  of  Naples, — that  is,  to  42° 
north  latitude, — and  is  considered  a  little  hotter  (5°)  in  slim- 
mer than  that  of  Paris  and  London,  and  not  so  cold  in  winter 
by  9  degrees.  The  mean  temperature  in  summer  is  70°  F., 
and  in  winter  52°,  and  for  the  year  61°.  There  is  not  a  milder, 
more  uniform  climate  in  all  the  world  than  that  of  Chile.  So 
little  variation  is  there,  that  for  weeks,  and  even  months,  at 
some  ports  on  the  coast,  the  thermometer  marks  no  change 
whatever. 

During  the  three  and  a  half  centuries  of  European  occu- 
pation, the  climate  was  more  or  less  uniform,  occasion-il 
exceptions  occurring  in  the  way  of  periods  of  drought,  which 
continued  from  three  to  nine  years,  and  were  followed  by  as 
many  years  of  rain.  So  severe  were  some  of  these,  that  the 
crops  and  herds  were  nearly  all  destroyed.  The  droughts 
recorded  in  the  history  of  the  country  were  from  1637  to  1640, 
1705  to  1718,  in  1725,  1743,  and  in  1771.  This  last  was  fol- 
lowed in  1783  by  the  greatest  flood  ever  known,  Santiago 
having  been  almost  destroyed  by  it.  In  the  present  century, 
the  year  of  least  rain,  as  marked  at  Valparaiso,  was  1863,  when 
only  4.48  inches  fell ;  and  the  year  of  the  largest  quantity  of 
rain  was  1868,  when  35  inches  fell.  After  this  last  period, 
there  followed  several  years  of  comparative  drought ;  but  since 
1877  there  has  been  a  rainy  period  again,  which  still  continues. 
From  January  i  to  September  i  of  the  present  year,  17  inches 
of  rain  have  fallen  in  the  central  section;  and,  as  a  rare  occur- 
rence, there  have  been  heavy  rainfalls  at  Cobija  and  Tocopilla, 
north  of  the  desert  of  Atacama,  as  also  at  Callao  and  Lima,  in 


Peru.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that,  in  all  parts  of  the  desert  of 
Atacama,  there  are  still  marks  of  great  floods  of  former  times  ; 
and  when,  as  in  the  present  year,  there  are  rains  on  these  sands, 
they  are  quickly  covered  with  bright  flowers,  and  even  succu- 
lent grasses. 

On  account  of  its  geographical  configuration,  southern 
latitude,  climate,  products,  and  clear  skies,  it  has  frequently 
been  designated  "the  Italy  of  South  America;"  but  the  cli- 
•mate  and  geographical  structure  of  this  country  show  a  greater 
similarity  to  California.  The  Andes  correspond  to  the  Sierra 
Nevada  Mountains;  and  the  central  valley,  from  the  Mapocho 
to  the  Maule,  to  the  valley  of  the  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin, 
except  that  these  last  rivers  are  navigable.  The  coast  range 
is  found  in  both  countries,  and  the  intervening  valleys  produce 
the  same  cereals,  fruits,  flocks,  and  herds.  Gold  abounds  also 
in  Chile,  and  before  the  discovery  of  this  metal  in  California 
the  gold  mines  and  washings  of  Chile  held  the  same  place  in 
the  money  market  of  South  America  that  those  of  California 
hold  in  North  America. 

The  earthquakes  have  been  supposed  to  exert  an  active 
influence  on  the  climate  of  Chile.  It  has  been  observed  that 
almost  all  of  these  disturbances  have  been  followed  immedi- 
ately by  copious  rains. 

EARTHQUAKES. 

The  heaviest  earthquakes  that  have  been  known  in  Chile 
since  the  conquest,  are  the  one  of  May  4,  1633,  which 
destroyed  Carelmapu  in  the  south ;  the  memorable  one  of  May 
13,  1647,  which  was  felt  generally  throughout  the  country,  and 
which  completely  destroyed  the  capital  with  the  loss  of  life  of 
nearly  one-third  of  the  population,  then  about  twelve  thousand. 
Those  of  July  8,  1730,  and  May  27,  1751,  caused  great 
tidal  waves,  and  destroyed  the  ports  of  Valparaiso  and  Con- 
cepcion.  So  complete  was  the  destruction  of  the  latter  city, 
that  it  was  rebuilt  on  an  entirely  new  site  several  miles  inland. 

In  the  present  century,  as  if  the  violent  action  of  creation 
had  been  calmed  in  these  territories,  which  geologists  regard 
as  of  comparatively  modern  formation,  the  earthquakes  have 


been  only  local,  and  scarcely  merit  the  name.  The  most  nota- 
ble have  been  the  one  on  November  29,  1822,  which  again 
destroyed  Valparaiso;  the  one  on  February  20,  1835,  which 
destroyed  Concepcion  in  its  new  site.  During  the  entire  cen- 
tury, thus  far,  the  casualties  have  not  been,  all  told,  a  hundred, 
while  the  earthquake  of  i860  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the 
Andes  completely  destroyed  the  city  of  Mendoza,  causing  a 
loss  of  twelve  thousand  lives;  those  on  August  13,  1868,  and 
May  9,  1877,  which  devastated  the  coast  of  Peru,  the  tidal  waves 
reaching  far  into  the  interior,  carrying  with  them  heavy  vessels, 
as  was  done  in  the  bay  of  Arica  with  Wateree,  a  corvette  of 
the  United  States.  These  were  only  slightly  felt  in  the  centre 
of  Chile.  Whatever  influence  maybe  attributable  to  volca- 
noes, in  earthquakes,  it  is  evident  from  observation  that  in 
Chile  they  affect  them  perceptibly,  decreasing  or  wholly 
destroying  their  violence. 

THE    ANDES    AND    THEIR    VOLCANOES. 

The  Andes,  of  which  the  most  southerly  peak  forms  Cape 
Horn,  present  in  Chile  an  immense  range,  their  course  being 
north  and  south.  Their  base  has  a  uniform  breadth  of  about 
a  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  The  rivers  rising  in  them  run 
almost  parallel  at  right  angles  to  the  Pacific,  and  cut  the 
mountains  with  immense  gorges  and  canons.  The  rainfall 
on  the  eastern  side  is  much  less,  because  the  Cordilleras  inter- 
cept the  moisture  borne  in  from  the  Pacific.  The  Andes  ot 
Chile  are  a  somewhat  homogeneous  mass,  having  a  mean  alti- 
tude of  eight  thousand  to  ten  thousand  feet,  but  without  the 
little  table  lands,  as  represented  by  some  travelers  and  geog- 
raphers. On  the  contrary,  it  is  only  at  the  north  that  the 
Andes  divide  into  two  arms  and  form  the  high  table-land  of 
Bolivia,  the  Jauja  and  Cajamarca,  in  Peru  ;  the  Riobamba,  in 
Ecuador ;  and,  lastly,  the  extended  and  beautiful  plains  of 
Cundinamarca,  in  New  Granada. 

According  to  Pissis,  not  less  than  seventy  volcanoes, 
extinct  and  active,  crown  the  range  of  the  Chilean  Andes  from 
Mt.  Isluga,  and  the  San  Pedro  volcano,  in  the  newly  acquired 
territory,    to  Mt.  Sarmiento    at    the    extreme    southern  limit 


lO 

of  the  Republic.  The  most  noted  peaks  are  the  following  : 
Mt.  Aconcagua,  22,418  feet;  its  near  neighbor,  Mt. 
Tupungato,  back  of  Santiago,  but  hid  from  view,  21,104  feet ; 
Mt.  Maipo  and  its  twin,  Mt.  San  Jose,  17,660  and  18,145 
feet  respectively.  The  latter  has  been  in  a  state  of  activity 
since  March  2,  1881  ;  its  two  columns  of  smoke  being  visible 
from  Santiago.  Naturalists  have  called  attention  to  the  fact 
that  this  eruption,  in  a  long  extinct  volcano  of  the  Andes,  cor- 
responds to  the  day,  with  earthquakes,  which  caused  great 
damage  in  the  centre  of  Europe,  especially  in  Valais,  Switzer- 
land, and  Agran,  Hungary.  Mt.  Peteroa  has  been  one  ot 
the  most  violent.  It  experienced  a  frightful  eruption  Decem- 
ber 3,  1762.  To  the  south  of  the  Maule  River  rise  two  vol- 
canoes, Chilian  and  Antuco,  6,110  and  9,184  feet  respectively, 
which  flame  up  alternately.  The  former  threw  out  immense 
quantities  of  earth  and  rock  in  1861  and  1863.  Mt.  Villa 
Rica  looms  up  over  the  plains  of  Araucania  with  its  shining 
dome,  15,990  feet  high.  South  of  it,  Mt.  Calbuco,  7,380  feet, 
mirrors  itself  in  the  crystaline  waters  of  Lake  Llanquihue. 
Still  south,  Mt.  Corcobado,  7,5 1 1  feet,  rises  like  a  great 
hump,  and  is  visible  from  the  seas  of  Chiloe. 


In  the  geographical  region  which  we  have  designated  as 
the  lake  zone,  many  are  found.  Lake  Llanquihue,  triangu- 
lar in  form,  twenty  to  thirty  miles  across,  is  the  largest. 
Others  are  Lake  Mallalanquen,  or  Villa  Rica,  twenty-four 
miles  in  circumference  ;  Lake  Rinigue,  the  source  of  the  Val- 
divia  River;  and  Lake  Ranco,  the  source  of  the  Bueno  River. 
In  the  highlands  of  the  Andes  are  found  several  small  lakes 
called  the  Duck  Lakes,  from  the  wild  birds  that  inhabit  them. 
The  most  notable  is  Lake  Mondaca,  near  the  source  of  the 
Maule  River.  At  the  mouths  ,of  most  of  the  larger  rivers 
little  salt  lakes  or  seas  are  formed  by  the  sands  which  are 
thrown  up,  making  dangerous  bars,  as  in  the  Bio-Bio,  Maule, 
and  Bueno  Rivers.  The  picturesque  little  lake,  Acubo,  a  few 
miles  from  Santiago,  12,530  feet  above  sea  level,  affords  a 
glimpse  of  real  Swiss  scenery. 


Besides  Chiloe  Island  and  its  numerous  archipelagoes, 
Guayteca  Island,  covered  with  dense  forests,  and  the  group 
of  islands  which  form  Smith's  Channel,  Chile  has  at  little  dis- 
tance from  her  coast  a  series  of  islands  beginning  at  Mocha 
Island,  and  extending  to  Pascua  Island,  discovered  by  the 
pirate  Davis  in  1680.  Juart  Fernandez  Island,  four  hundred 
miles  west  of  Valparaiso,  is  the  most  celebrated,  as  the  home 
of"  Robinson  Crusoe." 

HOT    SPRINGS,    OR    THERMAL    WATERS. 

All  the  territory  of  Chile,  by  virtue  of  its  volcanic  forma- 
tion, according  to  the  observation  of  Darwin  and  Fitz  Roy, 
made  in  1835,  is  particularly  rich  in  mineral  waters.  Espe- 
cially is  this  the  case  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  Andes. 
There  is  scarcely  a  valley  that  has  not  iron  alkaline  and  sul- 
phur springs,  with  valuable  medicinal  properties.  They  are 
found  especially  valuable  for  diseases  of  the  skin  and  blood 
(ansemia  and  chlorosis),  the  organs  of  digestion,  chronic  rheu- 
matism, and  gout.  Eighteen  miles  to  the  north  of  the  capital 
are  the  Colina  Baths,  which  have  been  in  the  possession  of  the 
Dominican  Friars  since  the  last  century.  The  Apoquindo 
Baths  are  a  short  distance  to  the  east  and  the  Cauquenes 
Baths,  known  from  time  immemorial,  are  sixty  miles  to  the 
south,  near  the  head-waters  of  the  Cachapoal  River,  some 
miles  off  from  the  southern  railroad.  These  springs  have  large 
bathing  establishments.  That  at  Cauquenes  Springs  will 
favorably  compare  with  like  establishments  in  Europe  and 
the  United  States,  and  is  visited  by  nearly  every  foreigner 
who  comes  to  Chile.  But  the  baths  which  enjoy  the  greatest 
reputation  for  their  medicinal  properties  are  the  Hot  Sulphur 
Springs  of  Chilian,  situated  at  the  foot  of  Mt.  Chilian, 
already  mentioned.  On  account  of  the  snows,  they  are  acces- 
sible only  in  the  summer  months,  but  give  promise  of  being 
visited  quite  as  much  as  the  Cauquenes  Baths.  The  hotel 
accommodations  are  sufficient  for  a  couple  of  hundred  guests. 
Still  farther  south,  in  the  Indian  territory,  are  other  springs 
resorted  to  by  the  Indians  themselves. 


The  rivers  of  Chile  are  counted  by  the  hundred,  but  those 
to  the  north  of  the  Aconcogua  scarcely  merit  the  name,  except 
for  the  abundance  of  auriferous  sands  along  their  course,  and 
the  fertility  of  their  alluvial  deposits,  which  are  irrigated  from 
their  waters  and  sustain  the  populations  that  inhabit  their  nar- 
row valleys.  The  chief  rivers  of  the  northern  zone  are  the 
Copiapo,  watering  the  valley  and  city  of  the  same  name  ;  the 
Huasco,  the  Coquimbo,  on  which,  near  the  sea,  is  the  pictu- 
resque city  of  Serena  ;  the  Limari,  the  Choapa,  and  the  Ligua. 
In  the  central  zone,  the  most  noted  for  the  fertility  of  the 
deposits,  which,  like  the  Nile,  they  bring  down  from  the 
mountains  to  renew  the  soil,  are  the  Maipo,  the  Cachapoal, 
the  Tingueririca,  and  the  Teno. 

From  the  Maule  south  the  larger  rivers  are  navigable,  but 
only  for  small  vessels,  on  account  of  the  rapidity  of  the  cur- 
rents and  the  sand-bars  closing  their  mouths.  The  Maule  is  navi- 
gable to  Perales  ;  the  Bio-Bio,  to  Concepcion  ;  the  Valdivia,  to 
ValdiviaCity,  at  whose  wharves  the  ocean  steamers  call ;  and  the 
Bueno  to  Osorno  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  lakes.  In  Janu- 
ary, 1882,  four  steamers  began  to  ply  as  far  up  as  this  industri- 
ous and  prosperous  town.  All  the  rivers  have  their  course 
from  east  to  west,  except  the  Loncomilla,  which  runs  north- 
ward, and  after  receiving  the  waters  of  several  tributaries 
disembogues  itself  in-  the  Maule.  The  Mapocho,  after  pass- 
ing the  city  of  Santiago,  entirely  disappears  in  the  sands,  and 
six  miles  farther  to  the  west  reappears  with  its  waters  aug- 
mented, and  thence  flows  on  a  true  river,  and  joins  the  Maipo 
at  San  Francisco  del  Monte.  The  Bio-Bio  has  the  purest 
waters,  holding  in  solution  scarcely  a  vestige  of  organic 
material.  The  Maipo  is  the  most  rapid,  and  carries  the 
greatest  amount  of  sediment.  The  following  table  will  give 
the  locality  and  length  of  the  principal  rivers: 


13 


Names  of  River. 

Province. 

Miles. 

Bio-Bio, 

Concepcion, 

222 

Aconcagua, 

Aconcagua, 

i8o 

Cautin,  or  Imperial, 

Valdivia, 

150 

Maule, 

Maule, 

150 

Cachapoal, 

Santiago, 

144 

Itata, 

Concepcion, 

138 

Mataquito, 

Talca, 

138 

1      Rapel, 

Colchagua, 

120 

Bueno, 

Valdivia, 

III 

Valdivia  or  Callacalla, 

Valdivia, 

102 

Coquimbo, 

Coquimbo, 

93     1 

Cruces, 

Valdivia, 

93 

Maipu, 

Santiago, 

90 

Copiapo, 

Atacama, 

90. 

Huasco, 

Atacama, 

90     ' 

Ligua, 

Aconcagua, 

87 

Token, 

Valdivia, 

87 

Laja, 

Concepcion, 

84 

Loncotoma, 

Aconcagua, 

84 

Limari, 

Coquimbo, 

81 

Mapocho, 

Santiago, 

78 

Vergara, 

Arauco, 

78 

Juncal, 

Atacama, 

72 

Tabaleo, 

Arauco, 

66 

The  coast  waters  of  Chile,  as  also  the  lakes,  are  abundant  in 
fish.  Especially  is  this  true  in  the  vicinity  of  Juan  Fernandez 
Island,  where  the  quantity  is  prodigious.  But  the  rivers  are 
very  meagre  in  fish  except  trout  and  pcjerreycs,  a  very  delicious 
fish,  known  only  in  Chile.  In  1866  an  unsuccessful  attempt 
was  mads  to  stock  the  rivers  of  Valdivia  with  salmon,  and 
just  now  another  attempt  is  now  being  made  to  stock  the  Bio 
Bio  and  the  Maule. 

POPULATION. 

The  population  of  Chile,  according  to  the  last  census 
(1875),  as  given  by  Mr.  Asta-Buruaga,  without  taking  into 
account  the  40,000  Indians,  was  2,075,971.  Classified  by 
sex  it  is  as  follows  : 

Men, 1,033,974 

Women, 1,041,997 


H 


By  civil  state  as  follow.' 


Males.* 

Females.* 

Unmarried, 

725,389 

690,469 

Married, 

278,013 

276,948 

Widowers, 

30,572 

Widows, 

74.580 

By  grade  of  instruction 

as  follows  : 

Males.* 

Fer.-.ales.* 

Able  to  read. 

. 

270,908 

206,413 

"     "     "     and  write, 

244,985 

176,162 

Not  able  to  read  or  write. 

518,081 

659,422 

By  nationalities  as  follows  : 

Males. 

Females. 

Total. 

Germans,     .... 

3,143 

1,535 

4,678 

Argentines, 

4.560 

2,623 

.    7,183 

Spaniards,    . 

1,102 

121 

1,223 

French,    .... 

2,408 

906 

3,314 

English,       .          ... 

3.459 

808 

4,267 

Italians,    .... 

1,725 

259 

1,984 

North  Americans, 

821 

no 

931 

Peruvians, 

470 

361 

831 

From  other  South  American 

countries. 

470 

209 

679 

From  other  European  coun- 

tries,   .... 

1,211 

199 

1,410 

From  Asiatic  countries, 

132 

4 
7.135 

136 

Total  foreign  born, 

19,500 

26,635 

"     native  born,  . 

1.014,474 
1.033,974 

1,034,862 

2,049.336 

Grand  total,  . 

1,041,997 

2,075,971 

In  addition  to  the  above  the  respective  registers  of  births 
and  deaths  up  to  December  31,  1878,  gave  a  surplus  of  79,058, 
making  the  total  2,155,029.  The  registers  for  1879  were  as 
follows : 

Male.  Female.  Total. 

Births,       .  .  ,  .45.318  44,195  89,513 

Deaths,  .  .  .  30,861  30,247  61,108 


Living, 


14,457 


13,948 


28,405 


Children  included. 


15 


Which  would  make  the  population  January  i,  1880, 
2,183,434.  The  following  table,  by  the  same  author,  gives  the 
population  on  that  date,  distributed  by  provinces  and  classi- 
fied by  sex : 


Provinces   and 
Territories. 


Population  January  i,  1880. 

I 


Sexes. 


Square 
Miles. 


Male.     Female. 


Total. 


Territory  of  Magel- 
lan from  Lat.  47° 
to  Cape  Horn,     . 

Chiloe  Islands  and 
continent    to    Lat. 

47.  •  .   •     •     •     • 
Llanquihue,  . 
Valdivia, 

Arauco,  .... 
Territory  of  Angol, 
Bio-Bio,  .... 
Concepcion, 
Nuble, 
Maule,  .  . 
Linares,  . 
Talca, 
Curico, 
Colchagua,  . 
Santiago,  . 
Valparaiso,  . 
Aconcagua, 
Coquimbo,  . 
Atacama,  . 

Total.     . 


57,761 


38,507 
7,810 

7.521 
8,085 
2,1 17 
4,146 
3.382 
3,362 
2,771 
3,298 
3,^77 
2,754i 
3,588, 
7,323 
1,5041 
5,886} 
12.307, 
48.409 


746' 


34.341 
27,718 
17,669 
29.550 
12,084 
41,808 
82,782 
67.380 
60,576 
65.738 
56,089 
50,635 

74,927 

188,574 

90,138 

65,230 

81,315 
42,122 


5051 


35,482 
25,782 
16,689 
26,469 
10,484 
38,807! 
84.079 
67,459 
63,512 
63,397 
57,516 
53,010 
77,700: 

198,537 
89,949 
68,698 
83.250 
32,709 


1,251 


69,823 
53.500 
34.358 
56,019 
22.568 
80,617 
166,861 

1 34.847 
124,088 

129.135 
113,605 
103,645 
152,627 
387,081 
180.087 
133.928 
164,565 
74,831 


224,008  1,089,400  1,094,0342,183,434 


The  annual  increase  of  population  being  about  20,000, 
the  total  December,  31,1881,  should  have  been  2,223,434, 
though    the  actual  population  is  probably  somewhat   larger. 


i6 


The  total  area  between  24  and  44  degrees  of  latitude  being 
129,721  square  miles,  the  medium  density  is  17.26  inhabitants 
per  square  mile.  This  leaves  out  of  the  computation  the  dis- 
trict of  Punta  Arenas,  in  the  Magellan  Straits.  Allowance 
should  be  made,  however,  for  the  losses  in  the  recent  war,  and 
the  absence  from  home  of  more  than  twenty  thousand 
men.  To  supply  this  deficiency  the  government  has  appro- 
priated the  sum  of  ;^200,000  annually,  to  encourage  foreign 
immigration.  A  like  attempt,  some  years  earlier,  proved  very 
fortunate  in  the  German  colonies  of  Valdivia,  Llanquihue  and 
Osorno,  but  so  far  no  practical  results  have  come  from  the 
present  attempt. 

According  to  a  statement  prepared  from  the  census  of 
1875,  for  the  Philadelphia  Exposition  of  1876,  by  Mr.  M.  G. 
Carmona,  the  population  of  Chile  is  distributed  as  follows  : 

In  cities  and  towns,  713,167  ;  in  rural  districts,  1,355,257. 
There  are  41  cities,  78  corporate  towns,  186  villages,  83  ham- 
lets and  35  ports.  There  are  17  provinces,  60  departments, 
682  sub-delegations,  and  2,738  districts,  not  counting  the  colo- 
nies of  Angol  and  Magellan.  The  following  are  the  most 
populous  provmces,  departments  and  cities  : 


Provinces.    Inhabit's.!  Departm'ts.  jinhabit's.:        Cities. 


Santiago 

Valparaiso 

Coquimbo 

Concepcinn 

Colchagua 

Nuble 

Aconcagua 


362,712  iSantiago  '•  193,517 

176,682  Valparaiso  !  100,926 

157,463  Rancagua  |  97,126 

151,365  Chilian  95>94' 

146,889  Talca  ',  90,588 

136,880  iCaupolican  I  74,ro2 

132,799  |SanFern'nclo|  72,787 


-antiago 

Valparaiso 

Chilian 

Concepcion 

Talca 

.S"ren.i 

Copiapo 


Inhabit's. 


148,284 

77,575 
19,044 
18.277 
17.452 
.2,265 
11.4S4 


The  following  are  the  populations  of  the  principal  cities  of 
the  Republic,  according  to  the  best  calculations  :  Santiago,  the 
capital,  on  the  banks  of  the  Mapocho,  180,000;  Valparaiso,  the 
principal  port,  iio,ooo;  Talca,  21,000;  Concepcion,  20,000; 
Serena,  14,000  ;  Copiapo,  12,000  ;  Iquiquc,  9,000  ;  Antofogasta, 
7,000.  Two-thirds  of  the  people  live  in  the  rural  districts,  and 
for  this  reason  the  nation  is  sometimes  spoken  of  as  £/  hiiaso 
Chile:  that  is,  "A   pastoral   country."     The  newly  acquired 


17 


territories  are  estimated  to  have  something  over  60,000  inhab- 
itants, as  follows:  Antofogasta  (Bolivian  and  foreign),  19,500; 
Tarapaca  (Peruvian  and  foreign),  42,000. 

The   following  table  from   the  last  census,  for  the  year 
1875,  gives  statistics  of  other  conditions  of  the  population. 


?-5 

S  0 

Births. 

Provinces. 

1 

11 

§ 

13  " 
III 

2 

.1 

•5 

3 

■3 

t; 

0. 

rt 

'm 

en 

0 

lU 

u 

J, 

,0 

P, 

Q 

^ 

% 

^ 

hJ 

Magellan    Colony, 

1. 144 

62 

1  in'"i8 

20 

1  in    57 

47 

14 

61 

Ch.loe, 

64,536 

1,134 

I  "  57 

496 

I  "  13° 

2,162 

418 

2,580 

Llanquihue, 

48.492 

9.6 

'  '•''  fi^ 

415 

I  "  117 

1,577 

367 

1,944 

Valdivia, 

37.481 

618 

239 

I  "  157 

1,134 

482 

1,616 

Arauco, 

140.896 

3,099 

I  "  45 

916 

I  "  154 

4,13' 

2,133 

6,264 

Concepcion, 

I'e'sso 

3:868 

1  "38 

1,564 

■  ';  96 

5,288 

2,704 

.^f78 

I       35 

1,172 

I    107 

4,306 

1,572 

Maule', 

237!3i4 

6,257 

I  "38 

1,622 

I  "  145 

7,480 

3,000 

10,480 

Talca, 

110,359 

3,588 

I  ''  3" 

1,016 

1  "  109 

4,543 

'^i 

5'5>'^ 

Curico, 

92,110 

2,312 

I       40 

7^3 

I  "  125 

3,281 
6,034 

3,866 

Colchagua, 

146,889 

3,944 

I       37 

1,343 

I ;'  109 

1,054 

7,088 

Santiago, 

362,712 

11,188 

I  "  32 

1,603 

14,087 

2,661 

16.748 

Valpa.aiso, 

176,682 

6,504 

I   '-27 

1,428 

I  "  124 

6,286 

1,668 

7,9M 

Aconcagua, 
Coquimbo, 

i3».799 

3,322 

I       40 

766 

I ''  173 

\%l 

1,272 

4,651 

157.163 

3,662 

I   "43 

979 

1  "  i6r 

1,768 

5,357 

Atacama, 

Total, 

—L\:^ 

4,442 

I   '16 

338 

I  "211 

T,293 

1,064 

2,359 

2,0(8,424 

55,897 

I  in  37 

16.670 

I  in  124 

68,616 

21.755 

90.371 

PUBLIC    HEALTH. 

The  sanitary  conditions  of  a  country  that  is  bathed  con- 
tinually in  its  whole  extent  by  ocean  breezes,  and  which  inter- 
poses high  mountain  barriers  to  contagions  from  other  countries, 
and  more  than  this,  occupying  the  temperate,  the  healthiest  of 
zones,  and  having  abundant  means  of  support  and  all  natural 
resources  of  hygiene  in  country  and  city,  cannot  be  other  than 
the  most  healthful.  The  natural  indolence  of  a  large  part  of 
the  people,  the  extreme  poverty  of  the  masses,  the  classes  being 
as  distinct  as  in  England,  and  the  lack  of  local  precautions, 
neutralize  to  a  great  extent  these  natural  blessings.  The  great 
mortality  of  nursing  children  and  from  the  prevalence  of 
small-pox  give  evidence  of  this.  In  Chile  only  the  strongest 
constitutions  attain  to  manhood  and  old  age,  hence  there  is  a 
notable  absence  of  invalids  ;  and  the  extraordinary  vigor  and 
strength  of  her  laborers,  soldiers,  and  sailors,  Lord  Cochrane 
compared  with  the  best  of  the  world.     The  following  table 


g-ives  the  mortality  in  the  hospitals  of  the  Republic  in  1878, 
and  affords  an  approximate  idea  of  the  diseases  most  prevalent 
among  the  people,  omitting  the  two  already  mentioned  : 


Men. 

Women. 

Total. 

Consumption, 

1.377 

1.047 

2,424 

Rheumatism, 

429 

429 

Dysentery, 

396 

366 

772 

Fevers, 

263 

322 

585 

Heart  Disease, 

168 

161 

329 

Pneumonia, 

153 

206 

359 

Diphtheria, 

143 

310 

453 

Congestion  of  the  Lungs, 

108 

108 

Syphilis, 

66 

85 

151 

Small-pox,  which,  during  the  colonial  days,  destroyed 
annually  a  tenth  part  of  the  mixed  races,  and  raged  among  the 
aborigines,  has  been  on  the  increase  since  1864.  In  1872  it 
was  very  bad,  and  since  then  the  number  of  deaths  annually 
resulting  from  this  disease  is  counted  by  the  thousand. 
Most  of  the  deaths  are  among  the  lower  classes,  or  those  who 
have  not  been  vaccinated.  As  already  stated,  on  account  of 
false  notions  of  individual  liberty  the  bill  for  obligatory  vacci- 
nation was  rejected,  a  few  months  since,  by  the  lower  house  of 
Congress.  In  the  year  already  mentioned,  the  deaths  by 
months  were  as  follows:  January,  5,333  ;  February",  4,398; 
March,  4,228;  April,  3,937;  May,  4,423  ;  June,  4,215;  July, 
4,613;  August,  4,773;  September,  4,767;  October,  4,940; 
November,  4,749;  December,  5,523.  The  largest  number 
occurred  in  December,  being  9.9  per  cent.  ;  and  the  smallest 
number  in  April,  being  7.1  per  cent. 


Chile,  in  distinction  from  Peru,  Bolivia,  and  almost  all  the 
the  other  South  American  countries,  has  had  the  inestimable 
benefit  of  having  a  homogeneous  and  almost  single  race. 
Neither  the  African,  the  Sandwich  Islander,  nor  the  China- 
man, has  ever  become  acclimated  here.  The  climate  is  per- 
haps too  cold  for  his  warm  nature.  The  stray  specimens  have 
soon  disappeared,  or  retired  to  the  seaboard.  The  population 
is  composed  of  two   classes :  the  white  race  of  pure  Spanish 


'9 

blood,  or  a  mixture  of  this  and  other  European  races,  and  the 
Creole  or  native  mixed  race,  having  a  third  to  a  fourth  of 
Spanish  blood.  In  the  three  and  a  half  centuries  this  has 
thoroughly  permeated  and  altered  the  primitive  and  indige- 
nous population.  From  this  alliance  of  the  Spaniards  with  the 
Araucanians  or  Chilean  Indians,  known  under  thirty  or  forty 
tribal  names,  from  the  Changos  of  Atacama,  as  to  the  Citicos 
of  Osorno,  have  come  the  two  million  inhabitants  who,  to-day, 
under  the  name  of  horsemen  [Juiasos)  in  the  country,  and  rag- 
ged men  [rotos]  in  the  towns  and  cities,  constitute  the  power, 
the  productive  wealth,  the  energy,  and  the  conquering  armies 
of  this  country. 

With  regard  to  the  indigenous  race,  it  may  be  said  that  it 
has  entirely  disappeared  north  of  the  Bio-Bio  River.  At  the 
beginnmg  of  the  century  a  few  tribes,  with  only  a  few  thousand 
members,  remained  in  the  provinces  of  the  north  and  centre. 
It  is  only  in  the  remote  parts  of  the  valleys  of  the  Huasco 
and  Elqui  rivers  that  the  ethnologist  is  able  to  find  any  fami- 
lies, or  even  indi\iduals,  of  the  aborigines  who  inhabited  the 
^•alle}'s  of  this  country,  and  had  their  nationalities  and  confed- 
erations when  the  Spaniards  arrived.  The  Araucanians, 
properly  so  called,  are  divided  into  three  tribes  or  comprehen- 
sive families,  namely,  the  Pehuenches,  who  inhabit  the  valleys 
of  the  Andes  and  their  pine  groves  {pchuen);  the  Llanistas, 
who  li\-e  in  the  central  valleys  or  plains  [llanos),  and  are  the 
most  warlike ;  and  the  Gostinos,  who  have  their  residence  in 
the  Cordilleras  of  the  coast  and  the  transverse  valleys.  These 
last  have  nearly  all  submitted  to  government  supervision. 

POLITICAL    ORGANIZATION. 

The  Republic  is  divided  into  seventeen  provinces,  exclu- 
sive of  Araucania,  whose  political  and  military  capital  is  Angol ; 
and  the  colony  of  Punta  Arenas,  situated  on  the  Straits  of 
Magellan.  Most  of  these  provinces  are  separated  from  each 
other  by  rivers  or  mountain  chains,  and  nearly  all  extend  from 
the  summit  of  the  Andes  to  the  coast,  each  one  being  divided 
into  two,  three,  or  four,  or  even  as  many  as  six  departments. 
Coquimbo  has  six  ;  Valdivia  and  Llanquihue  onh'  two  ;  San- 


20 

tiago,  the  most  densely  populated  province,  has  five,  and  Val- 
paraiso four.  There  is  at  present  a  project  before  Congress 
to  set  off  the  department  of  Rancagua  from  the  province  of 
Santiago  and  make  it  a  province,  and  also  to  re-divide  Talca 
Province,  and  give  it  a  new  department  on  the  coast.  The 
departments  are  again  divided  into  sub-delegations  or  town- 
ships, which  are  very  numerous,  there  being  in  all  nearly  four 
hundred.  These  divisions  correspond  to  the  cantons  in  France 
as  the  departments  correspond  to  the  counties  in  England  and 
the  United  States.  The  sub-delegations  are  again  divided  into 
districts,  the  smallest  political  divisions  in  the  Republic. 

GOVERNMENT    AND    ADMINISTRATION. 

Notwithstanding  its  federal  system,  this  Republic  is 
intensely  unified.  This  national  cohesion  is  attributable  in  part 
to  the  nature  of  the  territory.  The  political  constitution  of 
Chile  resembles  that  of  the  United  States,  whose  governmental 
organization  was  taken  as  a  model  b}'  the  legislators  of  South 
America.  There  are  four  entirely  distinct  powers  of  govern- 
ment :  the  executive,  invested  in  a  president ;  the  legislative, 
invested  in  a  National  Congress  composed  of  an  upper  and  a 
lower  house  ;  the  judicial,  invested  in  the  various  judges  of 
the  courts  ;   and  the  municipal. 

The  president  is  elected  every  five  years  by  the  people, 
and  since  1871  is  not  eligible  to  re-election  except  after  an 
interval  of  one  term.  He  has  five  ministers  or  secretaries, 
and  is  supported  by  a  Council  of  State  composed  of  eleven 
members,  five  of  whom  are  named  by  the  President  himself 
under  certain  regulations,  and  the  other  six  are  elected  by 
Congress.  They  hold  office  for  three  years.  The  salary  of 
the  President  is  ^18,000  a  year.  He  has  also  the  privilege  of 
residing  in  the  Treasury  Building.  The  salary  of  the  minis- 
ters is  ^6,000  a  year.  The  members  of  the  Council  of  State 
give  their  services  gratuitously,  and  are  of  little  consequence, 
because  of  the  excessive  power  given  to  the  President.  The 
provinces  are  governed  by  iiitcndoitcs  named  by  the  President, 
and  removed  at  his  will.  Their  salary  is  $4,000  a  year  with 
residence.     The  departments  are   presided  over  by  Governors 


named  in  the  same  way.  There  are  three  classes,  according 
to  the  salary,  which  varies  from  ;^i,ooo  to  ^2,500.  The  sub- 
delegations  are  presided  over  by  sub-delegates  appointed  by 
the  governors,  and  the  districts  by  inspectors  appointed  by  the 
sub-delegates.  These  last  two  offices  are  without  salary,  and 
hence  do  not  greatly  benefit  the  country. 

The  National  Congress  is  composed  of  two  houses,  and 
its  members  are  elected  every  three  years.  The  Senate  has 
thirty-seven  members  elected  by  the  provinces,  and  the  House 
of  Deputies  one  hundred  and  eight  members  elected  by  the 
departments.  They  give  their  services  gratis,  and  since  1876 
the  Deputies  are  elected  by  the  system  of  cumulative  votes 
devised  by  John  Stuart  Mill.  The  judicial  power  is  vested  in 
the  Supreme  Court,  composed  of  six  members,  resident  in 
Santiago,  who  do  not  have  any  political  functions.  On  the 
contrary,  in  1881  a  law  was  passed  establishing  the  incompati- 
bility of  the  judicial  and  legislative  functions.  The  Supreme 
Court  is  occupied  chiefly  with  cases  of  real  estate,  war  claims, 
and  criminal  cases.  Ordinary  cases  are  tried  before  justices  of 
the  peace  (one  in  each  department).  There  are  also  four  courts 
of  appeal,  sitting  in  Serena,  Santiago  (2),  and  Concepcion.  In 
Santiago  and  other  thickly  populated  departments,  there  are 
two,  four,  or  even  six,  justices  of  the  peace,  civil  and  criminal. 
Minor  cases  are  very  arbitrarily  tried  by  sub-delegate  justices, 
who  certainly  are  no  benefit  to  the  country. 

Chile  is  fortunate  in  possessing  an  excellent  codification 
of  her  laws.  The  civil  code  was  promulgated  in  1858,  and 
the  commercial  code,  penal  code,  code  of  mines,  code  of 
organization  of  tribunals,  etc.,  followed  in  order.  The  civil 
code  is  taken  largely  from  the  code  of  Napoleon,  and  the 
military  code  from  the  ordinances  of  Spain.  The  Republic 
needs  a  naval  code,  but  for  the  present  the  naval  ordinances  of 
the  mother  country  serve  well. 

The  municipal  authority  is  vested  in  city  councils  elected 
every  three  years  by  the  people,  but  their  authority  is  so  small 
that  they  cannot  appropriate  more  than  a  hundred  dollars  of 
their  incomes  without  the  consent  of  the  president  of  the 
country.       The  receipts   of  the  municipalities  from   licenses, 


public  lighting,  and  police  taxes,  and  all  other  sources,  were,  in 
1878,  ^4,500,404,  and  the  expenses  as  follows  : 

Street  cleaning  and  sanitary  measures,  $416,^1  ^.6g 

Police,  741,428.99 

Public  works,  81,350.52 

Public  schools,  66,847.54 

Benevolent  institutions  and  prisons,  182,147.73 

City  government,  294,892.89 

Interest  and  reduction  of  city  debts,  2,555,513.35 

Extraordinary  and  miscellaneous  expenses,  164,709.63 

Recently  (1882)  a  rural  police  has  been  organized  through- 
out the  Republic,  sustained  by  a  small  property  tax.  This 
important  service,  just  now  being  tried,  is  in  charge  of  a  com- 
mission of  land  owners  and  contributors. 

RELIGIOUS    ADMINISTRATION. 

In  Chile  there  does  not  exist  a  separation  of  Church  and 
State.  The  religion  of  the  country  is  Roman  Catholic,  but 
Protestantism  is  tolerated,  and  in  Valparaiso  and  Santiago  there 
are  Protestant  congregations  having  chapels  and  supporting 
their  own  pastors.  The  State  Church  has  one  archbishop, 
nominated  by  the  President  and  confirmed  by  the  Pope.  The 
archbishop  resides  at  Santiago,  and  the  bishops  have  their  dio- 
ceses at  Serena,  Concepcion,  and  Chiloe.  The  State  assists  to 
maintain  the  Church  in  return  for  the  tithes  of  the  fruits  of  the 
land,  which  formerly  it  enjoyed,  but  of  which  it  has  been 
deprived.  The  archbishop  and  bishops  receive  salaries  of 
$6,000  a  year,  and  it  is  calculated  the  other  revenues  of  the 
Church  amounted,  in  188 1,  to  $237,030.  The  tithes  appro- 
priated by  the  State,  since  1850,  amount  to  five  times  this 
amount.  At  present,  in  consequence  of  disputes  regarding  the 
naming  of  bishops  and  archbishop,  there  is  a  strong  feeling 
in  favor  of  the  separation  of  Church  and  State,  in  accordance 
with  the  principles  of  Cavour  and  the  system  in  practice  in  the 
United  States.  The  clergy  of  Chile  are  educated  and  moral, 
but  insufificient,  although  there  exists  a  fine  theological  semi- 


23 

nary  in  Santiago,  and  five  others  at  Valparaiso,  Serena,  Con- 
cepcion  and  Ancud.  The  whole  number  of  native  priests  is 
not  over  four  hundred,  hence  many  come  from  Spain  and  Italy, 
and  lend  their  services  as  curates  and  vice-curates.  The 
number  of  students  in  the  diocesan  seminaries,  in  i88i,  was 
as  follows : 

Seminary  in  Ancud,  32 

"              Conccpcion,  118 

"              Santiago,  .488 

"              Serena,  8y 

Total,  725 

PUBLIC    EDUCATION. 

Public  education  in  Chile  is  comparatively  meagre,  but  in 
its  higher  courses  is  as  thorough  and  finished  as  any  in  Europe. 
Unfortunately,  however,  the  school  system  does  not  adequately 
provide  for  the  practical  and  vital  exigencies  of  the  country. 
It  has  scarcely  recovered  from  its  Spanish  origin,  and  possesses 
a  strong  French  tendency,  which  has  influenced  its  literature, 
tastes  and  industry.  Fortunately  the  excess  of  evil  has  pro- 
duced a  reaction,  and  the  youth  are  changing  from  a  prefer- 
ence to  the  law  which  threatened  to  overrun  the  country  to 
the  more  practical  professions,  as  medicine,  agriculture,  civil 
and  mining  engineering,  mechanics,  etc. 

Public  education,  as  in  France,  is  divided  into  three  grades, 
superior,  intermediate  and  primary.  Santiago  is  the  seat  of 
the  National  University,  which  has  five  faculties  and  a  council 
of  higher  public  education,  which  superintends  the  higher 
and  intermediate  schools  of  the  country.  These  schools  are 
free,  and  have  their  own  buildings,  apparatus,  etc.  The 
principal  one  is  in  Santiago,  founded  in  18 13,  and  called 
the  National  Institute.  In  the  provinces  these  schools  take 
the  name  of  liceos  or  high  schools.  The  University  pre- 
paratory course  in  the  National  Institute  in  1880  had  843 
students,  distributed  as  follows  : — 


24 

Physical  Science  and  Mathematics,        ....  34 

Medicine,          ........  263 

Law  (nearly  one-half),          ......  389 

Pharmacy, 86 

Fine  Arts  (Drawing,  Painting  and  Sculpture),         .         .  71 

At  the  examinations  in  March,  1881,  the  following  num- 
ber were  approved  : 

Science  and  Mathematics,  .  .  .         .         .  231 

Medicine  and  Pharmacy,        .....  874 

Law,          .........  975 

In  the  intermediate  course  in  the  Institute  there  were  918 
students  enrolled,  128  being  boarders  and  790  day  scholars. 
The  high  schools  in  the  provinces  made  the  following  showing 
tor  the  same  year  : 

Students.      Examinations. 
Copiapo,         .... 
Serena,      .... 
San  Felipe, 
Valparaiso, 
Rancagua, 
San  Fernando, 
Curico,  .... 

Talca,        .  .         .          . 

Linares,  .... 

Cauquenes, 

Chilian,  .... 

Concepcion, 
Los  Angeles, 

Lebu,         .... 
Valdivia,         .... 
Puerto  Montt, 
Ancud,  .... 

2,176 

The  intermediate  and  superior  school  instruction,  under 
the   maintenance  of  the  State,  has  increased   to   nearly   four 


181 

443 

220 

560 

229 

249 

286 

100 

121 

35 

lOI 

196 

230 

448 

64 

67 

76 

113 

146 

361 

160 

530 

78 

100 

60 

46 

204 

51 

102 

93 

25 

thousand  students  ;  but  this  is  certainly  much  less  than  the 
intellectual    progress    of  the    country   demands.      These    ar 
distributed  as  follows : 

Superior  course  in  the  Institute,  843 

Intermediate  course  in  the  Institute,  918 

Intermediate  course  in  the  Provinces,  2,176 

Total,  3,937 

Fortunately,  there  exist  in  the  capital  special  schools  for 
teachers,  agriculture,  and  manual  trades.  There  is  also  a 
military  academy,  an  academy  of  painting,  a  conservatory  of 
music,  and  in  Valparaiso  a  naval  academy,  in  all  of  which  the 
number  of  students  maintained  by  the  State  is  about  five  thou- 
sand, including  the  theological  seminaries.  In  the  private 
schools  there  are,  perhaps,  as  many  more. 

Primary  instruction,  which  some  time  back  received  con- 
siderable attention,  especially  under  the  energetic  administration 
of  President  Montt  (1851-61),  is  now  somewhat  neglected 
by  the  State.  Benevolent  societies  supply,  in  part,  this  defi- 
ciency. The  whole  number  of  scholars  in  all  the  schools  of 
the  Republic  in  1881  amounted  to  from  sixty  to  sixty-five 
thousand.  The  free  public  schools  in  operation  in  1 880-81 
were  as  follows : 

Cit}^  schools,  for  boys,  1 14 

"     girls,  141 

255 

Country  schools,  for  boys,    loi 
"  "  "    girls,    264 

—  365 

620 

Established  in  188 1,  18 

Total,  638 

The  number  of  children  enrolled  in  all  the  public  schools 
in  1880  was  48,794, — 24,961  boys  and  23,833  girls.  The 
average  attendance  was  34,089.  To  this  must  be  added  the 
private  and  society  schools,  which  numbered  405,  with  15,106 


26 

scholars, — 9,218  boys  and  5,888  girls.  The  total  number  of 
public  and  private  schools  open  this  year  was  1,043,  with  an 
average  enrollment  of  64  scholars. 

The   public    school    expenses,    in    all    grades,    were    the 
following  : 


National  Institute,  University  Preparatory, 

^56,841 

"               "           Intermediate, 

116,784 

Provincial  high  schools. 

208,777 

Normal  schools, 

43.87? 

Primary       " 

385,377 

Publication  of  text-books, 

30,000 

Administration,  premiums. 

etc., 

106,195 

Total,  $947,846 

The  total  appropriation  made  by  Congress  for  school 
purposes  in  1881  was  ;$i, 119,620,  and  in  1882,  $1,386,022. 
In  Santiago  is  the  National  Library,  with  more  than  sixty  thou- 
sand volumes.  Just  now  it  is  being  removed  to  a  new  edifice, 
and  arranged  according  to  the  latest  system.  The  University, 
Institute,  and  many  private  schools,  as  well  as  the  provincial 
high  schools,  have  excellent  libraries  also.  In  Santiago  and 
Valparaiso  there  are  museums  of  natural  history ;  in  Serena 
and  Copiapo,  museums  of  mineralogy ;  and  a  taste  for  the  fine 
arts  may  be  cultivated  in  the  many  private  galleries  of  paintings, 
some  of  which  are  valued  as  high  as  twenty,  forty,  fifty,  and 
even  a  hundred  thousand  dollars.  In  Santiago  there  are  fifteen 
public  statues,  mostly  of  the  great  men  of  the  revolution,  as 
O'Higgins,  Carrera,  San  Martin,  Freire,  Bello,  etc.  Valpa- 
raiso has  erected  monuments  to  Lord  Cochrane  and  William 
Wheelwright,  the  introducer  of  steam  navigation  ;  and  others 
of  Admiral  Blanco,  Encalada,  and  the  hero  of  Iquique,  Arturo 
Prat,  are  being  erected. 

THE    PRESS. 

Printing  was  introduced  in  1812,  with  a  little  screw-press 
brought  from  the  United  States,  still  preserved  as  a  relic  in  the 
National  Museum.     Great  advances  have  been  made  of  late. 


especially  under  the  liberal  ^governments,  which  have  granted 
the  widest  liberty  to  the  press.  In  1853  there  was  in  Santiago 
only  one  daily,  the  Mensajero,  and  the  Araucano, — the  official 
organ.  In  1855  the  Ferrocarrilv^^AS,  founded,  and  to-day  it  has 
a  circulation  of  eight  thousand  to  nine  thousand  copies,  its 
profits  being  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  thousand  dollars.  In 
the  last  ten  years  there  have  been  founded  in  nearly  all  the 
capitals  of  the  provinces  or  departments,  dailies  and  other  peri- 
odicals ;  and  some  of  the  larger  cities,  as  Iquique,  Copiapo, 
and  Serena,  have  as  many  as  three  dailies.  In  Valparaiso 
there  are  two  large  dailies  :  the  Mercurio,  the  oldest,  founded 
in  1827.  This  has  the  largest  circulation.  It  prints  from 
eleven  to  twelve  thousand  copies  daily,  and  yields  a  net  income 
of  nearly  forty  thousand  dollars.  There  is  also  an  English 
weekly,  The  Chilian  Times,  and  a  German  weekly.  The  dailies 
of  Santiago  are  the  Ferrocarril,  the  Independinte,  the  Estan- 
darte  Catolico,  and  the  Epoca.  The  Arancajio,  the  organ  of 
the  government,  was  converted  into  the  Diario  Oficial  in  1877. 

BENEVOLENT    INSTITUTIONS. 

The  Chileans  have  ever  been  noted  for  their  charitable 
and  hospitable  spirit.  Pedro  Valdivia  founded  in  Santiago 
the  first  hospital.  In  all  the  larger  cities  there  are  now  hos- 
pitals under  the  care  of  the  Sisters  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul. 
These  are  aided  by  the  State,  and  have  also  revenues  of  their 
own,  from  legacies,  gifts,  etc.  In  Santiago  there  are  orphan, 
widow,  blind,  invalid,  and  lunatic  asylums;  the  last  having  five 
hundred  inmates.  In  1873  there  were  treated  in  the  hospitals 
and  dispensaries  of  the  Republic,  296,879  cases.  All  the 
cities  have  cemeteries ;  those  of  Santiago  and  Valparaiso  rival- 
ing in  beauty  and  elegance  the  most  magnificent  of  Europe. 
The  hospitals  are  mostly  under  the  charge  of  the  Sisters  of 
St.  Vincent  de  Paul,  who  have  their  central  convent  in  Santi- 
ago. The  orphan  and  widow  asylums  are  generally  in  charge 
of  the  Sisters  of  the  Providencia,  from  Canada.  Since  1853 
they  have  founded  six  convents  in  Santiago,  Valparaiso, 
Limache,  Serena,  and  Concepcion,  and  have  sheltered  thou- 
sands of  unfortunates.     In  the  epochs  of  epidemics  these  holy 


women  have  been  most  devoted,  and  during  the  late  war  many 
of  them  have  labored  in  the  army  hospitals. 

THE    ARMY. 

The  regular  army  of  the  Republic,  which  never  in  times 
of  peace  exceeded  3,500  men,  was  reduced,  at  the  beginning  of 
the  late  war  (1878),  to  the  number  of  2,700.  Since  the  war 
began,  no  less  than  60,000  have  been  enlisted.  At  present 
there  are  22,000  men  in  the  field,  as  follows  : 

In  Lima  and  Northern  Peru,    .         .  15,000 

In  Cacna  and  Tarapaca,         ....       3,000 
On  the  Araucanian  frontier,       .  ,          .  4,000 

According  to  the  register  of  1881,  the  regular  army  was 
composed  of  12,436  men,  as  follows: 

10  Battalions  of  Infantry,  with  9,040  men. 
3  Regiments  of  Cavalry,     "      1,296     " 
2  "  "    Artillery,  "     2,100     " 

The  National  Guards,  liable  to  be  called  into  active  ser- 
vice, in  1850  numbered  75,000  men,  and  might  now  number 
100,000,  but  for  economical  reasons  really  only  numbers 
20,400.  The  Cavalry  Militia  was  organized  in  1876.  The 
army  was  commanded  in  1881  by  10  generals,  21  colonels, 
"jj  lieutenant-colonels,  103  sergeant-majors,  191  captains,  181 
lieutenants,  332  sub-lieutenants;  total,  915 — an  increase  over 
1880  of  226  officers.  At  present  the  number  is  still  greater. 
Including  the  arms  and  cannon  recovered  in  the  war  from  Peru, 
Chile  possesses  now  more  than  500  cannon,  some  of  them  of 
large  caliber  (1,000  pounds),  and  a  100,000  stand  of  arms.  All 
her  forts  are  well  fortified,  Valparaiso  especially,  since  1866-69. 

NAVY. 

The  Chilean  navy,  which  has  attained  equal  renown  with 
the  army  in  the  last  war,  has,  besides  two  powerful  war  ves- 
sels being  constructed  in  England,  the  ArUira  Prat  and  the 
Esmerclda,  the  following : 

2  iron-clads — Blanco,  Encalado  and  Abnirantc  Cochrane. 

I  monitor — Hnascar. 


29 

2  corvettes — D'Higgins  and  Chacabuco. 
2  cruisers — Magallancs  and  Pilcojuayo. 
4  steam   transports — Amazonas,   Angamos,    Abtao    and 
Chile. 

2  frigates  (sailing). 

3  steam  tugs,  and  various  other  small  steamers. 

1 1  torpedo  boats,  recently  purchased,  of  a  speed  of 
twenty-two  miles  an  hour. 

The  navy  has  1,200  effective  seamen,  including  the  fol- 
lowing officers  : 

I  vice-admiral. 

4  rear-admirals. 
1 1  captains  of  iron-clads. 
10  captains  of  frigates. 
22  captains  of  corvettes. 
25  first  lieutenants. 
22  second  lieutenants. 

3  midshipmen. 
39  "  not  examined  {aspirantcs). 

1 14  adjutants. 

The  Pacific  coast  of  South  America  is  favorable  to  naviga- 
tion between  Valparaiso  and  Guayaquil.  Still  magnetic 
variations  little  understood  have  occasioned  many  shipwrecks. 
The  English  Company  has  lost  not  less  than  twenty  vessels 
since  its  beginning,  in  1842;  and  Chile  has  recently  (October 
1 88 1,  and  August,  1882)  seen  two  of  her  transports,  the 
Payta  and  the  Pisagiia,  go  down  in  Surco  and  Talaverry. 

MERCANTILE  MARINE. 

The  merchant  marine  of  the  Republic  had  been  on  the 
increase  since  the  war  with  Spain  in  1866.  In  1879  it  was 
composed  of  one  hundred  and  six  sailing  vessels  and  thirty 
steamers.  During  the  first  year  of  the  war  there  was  a  large 
decrease,  but  since  then  there  has  been  a  gradual  increase, 
The  coast  trade  has  developed,  and  some  of  the  Chilean  vessels 


30 

have  even  been  called  into  the   foreign  carrying  trade.     The 
number  of  vessels  May,  1880  and  1881,  was  as  follows  : 

1880.  12  Steamers,  6  Tug5,  13  Barks,  2  Brigs,  4  Schooners,  12  Pilot  Boats 

1881.  12  Steamers,  6  Tugs,  2  Ships,  31   Barks,  3  Brigs,  5  Schooners  15. 

Pilot  Boats. 

There  are  five  steamship  companies  doing  business  on  the 
coast,  one  of  them,  the  Pacific  Steam  Navigation  Company,  of 
England,  having  one  of  the  largest  fleets  in  the  world.  Its 
steamers  sail  bi-monthly  to  England,  by  way  of  the  Straits  of 
Magellan,  and  weekly  to  Panama.  The  South  American  Com- 
pany, of  Chile,  runs  a  line  of  steamers  as  far  north  as  Panama 
and  as  far  south  as  Chiloe.  The  German  Line,  of  Hamburg, 
runs  to  that  port,  and  the  French  line,  of  Havre,  to  that  port. 
The  Lota  Company  employs  several  steamers  in  the  coal  and 
copper  trade.  The  tug  company  of  Valparaiso  employs  five 
or  six  small  tug  boats.  The  Spanish  line  belonging  to  the 
Marquis  of  Campo  has  just  been  inaugurated  (September, 
1882).  All  these  companies  represent  a  fleet  of  more  than 
a  hundred  vessels,  the  United  States  not  possessing  a  single 
one  of  them  all.  There  is  a  Chilean  Whaling  Company,  and 
several  small  fishing  establishments.  The  most  important  one 
is  ably  managed  by  a  Chilean  seaman  at  Tumbes.  near  Talca- 
huano.  Valparaiso  Bay  has  two  floating  docks  which  serve 
for  war  vessels,  steamers,  and  merchant  vessels.  At  Talca- 
huano,  the  government  is  constructing  new  docks  for  the  use 
of  her  ironclads,  and  expending  several  millions  on  them.  In 
most  of  the  ports  are  fixed  or  revolving  light-houses,  and  in 
Santiago,  there  is  a  weather  bureau  which  is  of  great  service 
to  navigation  in  general. 

DIPLOMATIC    SERVICE. 

From  the  foundation  to  the  late  war  Chile  was  very 
meagre  in  her  diplomatic  service,  having  only  four  foreign 
ministers, — one  in  Europe,  one  in  the  United  States,  and  others 
in  Peru  and  Bolivia ;  but  now  she  has  no  less  than  twelve 
plenipotentiaries  accredited  to  France,  England,  Germany, 
United  States.   Mexico,   Central  America,    Columbia,   Brazil, 


31 

Argentine  Republic,  Uruguay,  Ecuador,  and  Peru.  Her  con- 
sular system  is  sufificiently  extensive,  but  miserably  remuner- 
ated. All  the  nations  enumerated  above  have  representatives 
resident  in  Chile.  Spain  and  Russia  have  never  yet  acknowl- 
edged the  independence  of  the  republics  formerly  Spanish 
colonies.  The  difficulties  with  Spain,  growing  out  of  the  war 
of  1865-66,  are  about  to  be  adjusted.  At  the  present  moment 
a  war  vessel  from  that  country  is  on  its  way  for  that  purpose, 
and  to  re-establish  commercial  relations  between  the  two 
countries.  The  diplomatic  and  consular  service  of  the  Repub- 
lic in  1881  cost  $102,105.  To-day  the  cost  is  nearly  double 
that,  and  if  account  be  made  for  the  difference  of  exchange,  it 
will  be  treble  that  amount. 

PUBLIC    WORKS. 

Chile  has  in  operation-  1,102  miles  of  railroad,  and  sur- 
veys are  being  made  for  the  speedy  construction  of  as  much 
more ;  one  line  being  intended  to  extend  the  central  line, 
which  runs  from  Valparaiso  and  Santiago  to  Angol,  as  far  as 
Valdivia,  thus  traversing  the  territory  of  Araucania.  This 
will  do  more  to  civilize  the  Indians  than  all  the  armies. 

To  Chile  belongs  the  honor  of  constructing  (1850)  the 
first  railroad  in  South  America,  that  from  Caldera  to  Copiapo. 
Her  different  railroads  and  highways  are  given  in  the  follow- 
ing tables.  Railroads  belonging  to  the  State.  The  railroad 
between  Santiago  and  Valparaiso,  with  its  branch  from  Las 
Vegas  to  Santa  Rosa,  in  the  Andes,  is  144  miles  long.  The 
southern  road,  from  Santiago  to  Talcahuano,  is  359  miles, 
and  to  Angol  352  miles.  The  entire  length,  including  the 
branch  to  Palmilla,  is  446  miles.  Total  owned  by  the  State, 
590  miles.  Railroads  belonging  to  companies,  excluding  those 
of  Tarapaca: — 

Line  from  Mejillones  to  Cerro  Gordo,  16  miles. 

Antofogasta  to  Salinas  de  Dorado,  79 
"       "      Taltal  to  the  saltpetre  mines  of  Cachiyu- 

yal,  60      " 

Chanaral  to  Hundido,  55 


Line  from  Caldera  to   Copiapo,  with  branches   to 

Puquios,  San  Antonio,  and  Chanarcillo,  lOi  miles. 
"       "      Carrizal  to  Upper  Carrizal  and  Cerro 

Blanco,  74  " 

"       "      Coquimbo  to  Serena,  Tamaya  and  Ovalle,  62  " 

Tongoy  to  Tamaya,  40  " 

"       "      Laraquete  to  Quilanchanquin,  25  " 

Total,  513  miles. 

The  State  lines  had  cost  for  construction  up  to  1880  nearly 
;ig40,ooo,ooo,  obtained  for  the  most  part  from  British  loans  in 
this  form  : — 

The  line  from  Santiago  to  Valparaiso,  ^12,925,334 

"  "  "  the  south,  26,028,575 

During  1880  these  roads  transported  1,362,989  passengers 
and  569,385  tons  of  cargo.     The  receipts  were  $2,142,985. 

There  are  in  operation  in  Chile  1,102  miles,  besides  the 
short  lines  used  in  the  coal  mines  of  Coronel,  Lota,  Lebu,  and 
Punta  Arenas.  At  Santiago  and  Valparaiso,  and  from 
Old  San  Antonio  to  the  mouth  of  the  Maipo,  there  are  street 
railways,  with  a  total  length  of  35  miles.  In  addition  to  these 
there  are  over  700  public  roads,  kept  in  repair  at  government 
expense,  with  a  total  length  of  18,600  miles.  There  are  also 
1,600  mule  paths,  with  a  total  length  of  17,000  miles.  These 
are  kept  in  repair  by  the  municipalities,  or  priv^ate  individuals, 
or  companies.  There  are,  also,  78  navigable  streams,  with  a 
total  navigable  extent  of  2,800  miles. 

MAILS  AND  TELEGRAPHS. 

The  number  of  post-offices  in  1880  was  335,  and  during 
that  year  they  handled  19,675,500  letters,  papers,  and  pack- 
ages.    The  department  has  also  a  postal  money-order  system. 

The  government  owns  a  system  of  electric  telegraph  lines. 
In  the  year  just  mentioned  there  were  102  offices  with  178 
instruments.  The  total  length  of  wire,  including  some  tempo- 
rary lines  used  in  the  military  operations  at  the  north,  was 
5,700  miles.  A  new  line  has  since  been  constructed  to 
Ancud,  giving  twelve  additional  offices  and  473   miles.     The 


13 


number  of  telegrams  transmitted  was  258,684,  containing 
5,990,525  words.  There  is  a  private  line  between  Santiago 
and  Valparaiso — the  American  line — and  another  between 
these  two  cities  and  Buenos  Ayres,  opened  in  1872  and  con- 
necting with  Europe.  Altogether  Chile  has  in  operation  more 
than  6,200  miles  of  wire.  There  is  at  present  a  bill  before 
Congress  to  appropriate  $400,000  to  double  these  lines. 
Tacna  and  Ancud,  the  two  extremes  of  these  lines,  are  nearly 
2,000  miles  apart.  There  is  a  marine  cable  to  Callao,  and  it 
has  been  completed  to  Panama,  thus  connecting  with  Mexico 
and  the  United  States. 

COMMERCE. 

The  commerce  of  the  Republic  is  prosperous,  and  this 
country,  by  reason  of  its  agricultural  products  for  export  and 
its  extraordinary  mineral  riches,  is  one  of  the  great  markets 
of  the  world,  although  so  small.  The  two  following  tables 
prepared  by  the  Bureau  of  Statistics  in  1882,  relating  to  the 
commercial  transactions  of  the  Republic  give  the  details  : 

Importation. — The  importation  of  foreign  goods  to  Chile 
in  1880  amounted  to  $29,716,004,  as  follows  : 
Articles  of  food,  ....       $6,123,467 

Textile  fabrics,  ....  8,319,791 

Raw  materials,     .....  3,699,458 

Clothing  and  jewelry,  .  .  .  1,926,843 

Machines,  instruments  and  hardware,     .  .  2,825,601 

Household  furniture,  .  .  .  1,459,589 

Railroad  and  telegraph  materials,  .  .  531,154 

Wines  and  liquors,     ....  559.735 

Tobacco,  .....  870,160 

Gold,  silver  and  copper  metals,  .  .  19,336 

Scientific  instruments,  art  treasures,  etc.,  .  373. 3^0 

Drugs,  medicines,  etc.,  .  .  .  304,200 

Fire-arms  and  ammunition,  .  .  .      •         37.342 

Miscellaneous,  ....  2,636,521 

Silver  bullion,       .....  13,152 

Gold  bullion,  ....  16,275 


Total, 


$29,716,004 


34 

England  is  the  largest  importer,  Germany  and  France 
come  next,  while  the  United  States  holds  the  fourth  place. 
About  the  time  of  the  independence  (i8 17- 1830)  the  United 
States  sent  more  to  Chile  than  did  Great  Britain.  The  nations 
which  have  imported  the  largest  amounts  are  the  following : 

England,  ^13,398,324 

Germany,  4,785,642 

France,  4,399,035 

United  States,  1,667,078 

Argentine  Republic,  1,465,063 

Peru,  1,313,726 

Spain,  603,028 

Brazil,  521,657 

Belgium,  484,497 

Italy,  295,594 

Exportation. — The  articles  and  products  which  Chile 
exported,  in  1880,  amounted  to  ;^5  1,648,549,  an  increase  over 
1879  of  ^8,990,710.     They  were  as  follows  : 

Grain  and  produce,  $\  1,663,01  5 

Metals,  37,811.150 

Manufactured  articles,  93-173 

Miscellaneous,  109,093 

Gold  bullion,  57,265 

Silver  bullion,  1,185,867 

Imported  articles,  727,058 

The  agricultural  products  exported  were  : 

Wheat,  138,777,700  ;^7,449,902 


Flour, 

11,419,000                     1,003,952 

Barley, 

3,127,500                        130.227 

Wool, 

2,207,100                        507,904 

Wines, 

144,312  gallons,         122,594 

The  rnineral  export 

jd  products  were  : 

Bar  copper, 

$13,912,641 

Ingot  copper. 

1,431,314 

Copper  ores, 

437,215 

Stove  coal, 

404,872 

35 


The  total  imports  and  exports  for  this  year  amounted  to 
^87,195,918,  the  imports  being  ;$35,075,246,  and  the  exports, 
^^52,120,672. 

The  trade  between  the  various  ports  of  the  Repubhc  was  : 

In  1879, 535,618.1 19 

In  1880.  ....  53.558.637 


Increase, 

The  shipping  with  foreign  countries 
ing  number  of  vessels: 
Entered — Sailing  vessels,       .  .      689 

Steamers,  .  648 

Cleared — Sailing  vessels,      .          -530 

Steamers,  .          .  734 

The  coast  trade  showed  in  the  same 

Entered — Sailing  vessels,      .  .  2,240 

Steamers,  .  .       2,423 

Cleared — Sailing  vessels,       .  .   2,362 

Steamers,  .          .        2,287 

Including  the  territories  of  Antofoj 
which  Chile  occupied  the  entire  shipping 
March,  1881,  was  as  follows: 


$17,940,118 
showed  the  follow- 


with 

418,176  tons 

762,668    " 

"■ 

326,280    " 

" 

891,164    " 

time  : 

with 

772,036  tons 

2,067,650    " 

" 

842,528    " 

" 

1,924,694    " 

gasta 

and   Tarajiaca, 

for  the  year  ending 

Entered. 

,     -               Cleared. 

j     Number  of  Ports;  ' 

Vessels. 

Tons. 

Passengers. 

Vessels. 

Tons. 

Passengers. 

1 

6,183 

2,279,212 

37,7"      . 

6,20i  " 

4,205,337 

27,356 

According  to  the  inaugural  address  delivered  by  Presi- 
dent Santa  Maria,  June  i,  1882,  before  the  National  Congress, 
the  exports  amounted  in  1 88 1  to  1^60,519,827,  and  the  imports 
to  ^39,341,35  I.  The  grand  total  of  the  commerce,  including 
goods  in  transit,  was  $108,585,046.  The  export  values,  includ- 
ing guano  and  saltpetre  from  Tai-apada;  were :  Minerals, 
,^47,145,757,  being  $9,333,667  more  than  1880;  agricultural 
products,  $9,884,232,  being  $i,778,'783  more  than  1880; 
guano,  $1,792,41 1  ;   saltpetre,   $22,891,786.     The  Government 


36 

has  just  offered  in  the  markets  of  Europe  the  sale  of  a  milHon 
tons  of  guano  from  Tarapaca  and  Lobao  Islands,  and  will 
share  the  proceeds  with  the  lawful  creditors  and  bondholders 
of  Peru. 

In  Valparaiso  the  Government  has  very  large  bonded 
warehouses,  which  cost  between  three  and  four  million  dol- 
lars. They  were  intended  to  be  fire -proof,  but  are  proof 
against  the  fire-engine,  as  was  recently  shown  by  a  destruc- 
tive fire  in  one  of  them.  For  ten  years  past  an  iron  wharf 
has  been  in  process  of  construction.  It  is  now  approaching 
completion,  and  will  cost  two  million  dollars. 

NATIONAL    INDUSTRIES. 

Mr.  M.  G.  Carmona,  the  able  chief  of  the  office  of  statis- 
tics in  Valparaiso,  to  whom,  as  well  as  to  Mr.  Asta-Burnaga,  so 
well  known  in  the  United  States,  we  owe  the  greater  part  of 
the  statistics  of  this  article,  said  in  1876  that  agriculture  and 
mining  are  the  most  important  industries  of  the  country.  Some 
advancement  has  also  been  made  in  manufacture.  There  are 
manufactories  of  cloth,  silks,  paper,  metal  amalgamation, 
castings,  oil,  sugar  refining,  carriages,  furniture,  wool  and 
hemp  goods,  ceramics,  pottery,  candles  and  soap,  lumber 
sawing,  lime  and  brick,  whisky,  wine  and  beer,  steam  boilers, 
leather,  dyeing,  marble  cutting,  and  many  other  industries,  and 
manual  arts  and  trades. 

Among  the  various  agricultural  and  other  products,  we 
should  mention,  on  account  of  their  abundance,  superior 
quality  and  commercial  value,  wheat,  flour,  barley,  wool,  hides, 
potatoes,  bee  honey,  building  lumber,  hay  and  bran.  There 
are  exported  also,  in  considerable  quantities,  house  birds, 
salted  beef,  beeswax,  dried  beef,  macaroni,  beans,  fruits, 
crackers,  eggs,  vegetables,  linseed,  corn,  lard,  butter,  nuts  and 
cheese.  The  native  wines  are  very  highly  esteemed,  and  have 
a  very  large  consumption  in  the  country.  This  industry  is 
becoming  more  important  every  day,  and  already  sends  to 
foreign  countries  millions  of  gallons  annually.  The  following 
is  a  table  of  the  principal  agricultural  products  produced  and 
exported. 


17 


Produced. 

Exported. 

Peas, 

24,749,077  pounds. 

68,343  pounds 

Corn, 

30.524.025       " 

2,377.546      " 

Wheat, 

794,121,581       " 

181,955,494      " 

Flour, 

58,426,264      " 

Barley, 

273,085,105       " 

99,637.799      " 

Wool, 

10,243,860       " 

3.757,518       " 

Potatoes, 

162,055,968 

22,986,816      " 

Nuts, 

2,530,001 

3,226,170      " 

Beans, 

45.793,607       " 

3.217.986      " 

In  mining,  Chile  occupies  a  very  high  position  among 
the  nations  richest  in  minerals.  Its  territory  contains  very 
rich  deposits,  in  which  are  found  every  metal  known.  The 
most  important  are  copper,  silver,  stone  coal,  gold,  cobalt, 
nickel,  lead,  and  mercury.  There  is  also  marble,  porphyry, 
lapis-lazuli,  tin,  borax,  saltpetre,  aluminium,  agate,  quartz, 
granite,  and  other  silicates,  zinc,  antimony,  chalcedony,  barytes, 
magnesia,  jasper,  slate,  lime,  gypsum,  argil,  building  stones,  as 
granite,  grindlestone,  and  various  others  in  the  arts  and  indus- 
tries. The  exportations  of  the  principal  mineral  products  in 
the  years  1874  and  1875  were  as  follows  : — 

1874.  1875. 

Copper,  in  bars  and  ingots,  73,419,528  tt)s.  78,287,486  ft:)s. 

Copper  regulus,  51,053,153  "  38,273,204 

Silver  in  bars,  164,603  "  161,618 

Copper  and  silver  regulus,  8,635,690  "  6,302,802 

Copper  ores,  12,817,618    "  19,131,921 

Silver  regulus,  93-429  "  82,238 

Stone  coal,  578,600 

Mineral  exports  from  1844  to  1875  : 

Value. 

Copper  in  bars  and  ingots,               .              .  ^155,077,806 

Copper  regulus,            ....  84,515,195 

Silver  in  bars,         .              .              .              .  71,544,629 

Copper  ores,                 ....  33-553,903 

Gold  and  silver  coin,         .              .              .  21,263,964 

Silver  ores,       .....  15,708,542 


38 

Value. 
Copper  and  silver  regulus,  .  .  ;^I3, 189,958 

Stone  coal,       .....  6,089,633 

Gold  bullion,  ....  2,017,164 

At  the  Continental  Exhibition,  held  at  Buenos  Ayres 
(March  to  August,  1882),  Chile,  although  having  had  only  a 
month  for  preparation,  competed  with  great  honor  to  her 
natural  productions  and  manufactures.  She  received  seven- 
teen medals  of  the  first  class,  some  of  the  second,  and  many 
bronze  medals  and  honorable  mentions,  amounting  in  all  to 
one  hundred  and  seventeen  premiums.  The  products  which 
attracted  the  most  attention  in  this  international  strife  were 
her  cloths,  ropes,  sugar,  liquors,  especially  the  wines,  which 
are  so  superior  and  are  receiving  such  incalculable  advances. 

The  native  timbers  exhibited  by  the  National  Agricultural 
Society,  one  of  the  most  beneficial  institutions  of  the  country,, 
were  represented  by  two  hundred  different  kinds.  The  lumber 
of  Chile  is  excellent.  At  the  south  there  exists  a  species  of 
wood,  the /u?na  of  Chiloe,  of  the  consistency  of  iron.  In  1827 
the  government  of  France  gave  a  contract  for  bringing  Chilean 
timbers  to  her  navy  yards,  and  during  the  colonial  days  there 
were  built  in  Talcahuano  and  Valparaiso  no  less  than  ten 
native-built  vessels  of  ordinary  size.  But  now  the  Chilean 
government  buys  all  her  war  vessels  in  Europe,  and  only 
builds  launches  and  flat-boats  at  the  mouth  of  the  Maule  and 
other  rivers.  These  launches  are  sent  to  Peru,  and  even  to 
Ecuador,  manned  by  only  two  men,  and  carrying  generally 
cargoes  of  wood  and  lumber. 

Chile  must  of  necessity  ultimately  become  an  industrial 
nation  like  England,  Switzerland,  and  the  German  provinces  of 
the  Rhine.  The  Argentine  Republic,  New  Zealand,  Austria  and 
California  are  competing  with  the  same  agricultural  products, 
and  already  usurp  Chile's  former  supremacy.  Foreign  immi- 
gration and  the  completion  of  the  transandine  railroad,  which 
is  in  process  of  construction  from  the  other,  side  of  the  Andes, 
will  contribute  to  the  favorable  solution  of  the  matter. 


39 


NATURAL    RESOURCES. 


The  most  stable  and  healthy  natural  wealth  of  Chile  is 
found  in  its  agriculture.  Mr.  Cuadra,  the  present  Secretary  of 
the  Treasury,  estimated  ten  years  ago  that  the  value  of  real 
estate  in  Chile  was  ^700,000,000.  To-day,  with  the  improve- 
ments introduced  and  the  higher  value  of  land,  the  total  valua- 
tion should  not  be  less  than  $  i  ,000,000,000.  No  calculation  can 
be  made  of  the  mineral  wealth.  The  silver  mines  of  Copiapo 
and  Atacama  are  recovering  their  former  richness  ;  and  the 
copper  mines,  although  much  reduced,  still  yield  considerable 
quantities.  A  single  one,  the  Pique  mine  at  Tamaya,  has 
yielded,  in  the  last  twenty  years,  ;^i2,ooo,ooo.  Lately  (Sep- 
tember, 1882)  rich  discoveries  of  silver  have  been  made  in  the 
Cachinal  Mountains  near  Taltal.  The  value  of  these  new 
mines  is  estimated  at  hundreds  of  thousands  and  even  millions 
of  dollars.  Recent  discoveries  of  gold  have  also  been  made 
which  evince  the  ancient  wealth  of  this  country  in  that  metal  for 
which  it  was  so  famous  in  the  time  of  the  incas.  It  has  been 
calculated  that  in  the  eighteenth  century,  thanks  to  the  cheap- 
ness of  labor,  Chile  produced  not  less  than  thirty  thousand 
pounds  of  gold,  and  in  the  time  of  Valdivia,  from  one  mine 
alone,  the  Quilacoya,  the  Indians  took  out  two  hundred  pounds 
a  day.  In  1881  some  traces  of  this  wealth  were  found  in  the 
ravines  about  Lebu,  not  far  from  the  spot  where  that  great 
captain  was  sacrificed.  This  confirms  the  opinion  that  no  small 
part  of  the  ransom  of  Atahualpa  came  from  Chile.  During 
this  same  year  it  is  calculated  that  these  ravines  at  Lebu  yielded 
a  half  million  dollars,  notwithstanding  the  washings  were 
operated  under  the  old  form  of  monopoly  which  the  Spanish 
laws  gave  to  the  discoverer,  and  not  in  accordance  with  the 
system  of  free  labor,  personal  reward,  and  licenses  which  have 
produced  such  prodigious  results  in  California,  New  Zealand 
and  Australia. 


40 

The  circulating  capital  of  Chile,  as  represented  last  year 
by  the  principal  banks,  was  as  follows : 


Banks. 

Ji 

Nominal 
capital  sub- 
scribed. 

Capital 
paid  in. 

Availabl 

e  Capital.     | 

1'^ 

>  be 

Reserve 
fund. 

Total. 

Valparaiso, 

1856 

$20,500,000 

$5,125,000 

$600,000 

$5,725,000 

National, 

1865    16,000,000 

4,000,000 

500,000 

4,500,000 

Alianza, 

' 

Agricola, 

1868!    1,593,600 

1,593,600 

22,500 

1,616,100 

Concepcion, 

1 87 1      1,000,000 

400,000 

50,600 

450,600 

Consolidado, 

Mobiliario, 

1870 

1,125,000 

70,000 

1,195,000 

Union, 

1873,        500,000 

216,500 

15,000 

231,500 

A.  Edwards  &  Co., 

1867 

1,500,000 

250,000 

1,750,000 

Matte  &  Co., 

1875 

1 ,000,000 

1,000,000 

Melipilla, 

1878 

60,000 

60,000 

3,200 

63,200 

==    Total, 

June  30,  1881. 

$39,653,600 

$15,020,100 

$1,51 1,300  $16,531,400 

The  great  private  fortunes  are  as  numerous  in  Chili,  con- 
sidering its  extent  and  importance,  as  in  the  United  States. 
The  Edwards  family  possesses  a  fortune  of  thirty  millions  ;  the 
Cousino-Goyenechea  family,  owners  of  the  coal  mines  of 
Lota,  possesses  a  fortune  of  fifteen  millions  ;  the  Matte  and 
Brown  families  possess  similar  amounts.  In  February,  1882, 
there  was  published  a  list  of  seventy-eight  Chilean  millionaires, 
representing  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  million  dollars. 

There  are  also  numerous  societies  of  credit,  industries, 
mines,  coal,  etc.  One  of  these,  the  Lota  Coal  Mining  Com- 
pany, has  an  annual  net  profit  of  nine  hundred  thousand  dol- 
ars.  There  is  also  a  loan  association  and  a  hypothecating 
bank,  which  have  made  loans  of  many  millions  to  the  land 
owners  and  renters.  Recently  life  insurance  companies  have 
begun  to  do  business  here.  'The  Equitable  Company  of  New- 
York  stands  at  the  head  by  its  honesty,  amount  of  its  capital, 
and  number  of  its  policies. 

NATIONAL    REVENUES. 

The  national  revenues  have  increased  extraordinarily. 
During  the  time  of  the  colony,  when  the  public  expenses  did 
not  exceed  $300,000,  they  were  entirely  provided  for  by  annual 


41 

appropriations  made  by  the  Viceroy  of  Peru  for  the  support 
of  the  army.  The  total  expenses  in  1776,  under  Governor 
Jauregui,  were  $2gi),2'/y.  In  1810,  at  the  time  of  the  emanci- 
pation, the  revenues  had  reached  $400,000.  With  free  trade, 
development  of  agriculture,  mining  and  other  industries,  the 
income  quintupled  during  the  last  ten  years  of  the  war  for 
independence  (1816-26).  The  estimate  that  year,  under 
President  Freire,  was  $1,736,823.  In  1836,  under  President 
Prieto,  the  revenues  had  augmented  to  $2,321,936;  ten  years 
later,  in  1846,  under  President  Bulnes,  to  $3,741,672;  and  in 
the  next  decade,  under  President  Montt  (1856),  to  $5,708,058. 
Since  that  epoch,  on  account  of  the  introduction  of  railroads, 
the  institution  of  banks  (1855),  the  introduction  of  paper 
money  (187^,  the  development  of  coal  mining  on  a  large  scale, 
and  the  cheapening  of  blasting  materials  for  mines,  the 
incomes  have  doubled  every  ten  years,  as  follows  : 
Administration  of  President  Perez,  1866,  $9,079,936 

Errazuris,  1878,  16,830,000 

Santa  Maria,  1882,  39,008,219 


PUBLIC    EXPENSES. 

A  century  ago  the  expenses  of  the  government,  indicat- 
ing the  state  of  advancement  of  the  various  services,  are  repre- 
sented by  the  following  figures,  given  by  President  Amat : 
Government  service,  .....       $4,59^ 

Custom  Houses,  .....  9,460 

Interior,  ......  9,500 

War,  ......  198,278 

Courts,  ......        31,465 

Church  (not  including  tithes),       .  .  .  320 

Treasury,        ......       49,714 


Uanotoh  Libivy 


Total,         .....         $295,277 
Sixty  years  later,  in  1836,  the  expenses  had   reached  the 
following : 

Home  and  foreign  service,  ....     $328,251 
Interior  department,        ....  776,409 

Army 'and  navy,        .....       939,542 


Total,       .....        $1,990,20: 


42 

In  1 88 1  they  had  reached  the  following: 
Interior,  .....  ^4,699,581.39 

Foreign  relations,  .  .  ;^ioi,5i5 

Colonization,  .  .  .         180,536 

282,051.00 


Courts,    ....         ^658,545.22 
Church,  .  237,030.00 

Education,         .  .  .  1,119,620.44 


2.015,195.66 

Treasury,      .....  7,613,963.63 

Army,    ....       ^1,314,585.44 
National  Guards,      .  .  •■299,508.78 


1,614,094.22 

Navy,     .  .  .  .  .  .    •  2,299,676.64 


Total,  ....        ;^i8, 524,562. 54 

PUBLIC    DEBT. 

The  home  and  foreign  debt  of  Chile,  according  to  careful 
statistics,  prepared  in  the  government  offices,  to  June  i,  1882, 
was  as  follows  : 

Foreign  debt  (gold  48  pence  to  the  dollar),  ^34,870,000.00 

Home  debt  (gold  35   pence  to   the    dollar,  the 

present  rate  of  exchange),  .  .      56,546,384.85 


Total,  .  .  .  .  ^91,416,384.85 


Governor  Don  Djego  de  Almagro,  discontented  with  the 
portion  of  the  treasures  of  Peru  which  fell  to  his  lot  in  the  dis- 
tribution made  by  his  famous  comrade  Don  Francisco  Pizarro, 
resolved  to  advance  to  the  discovery  and  conquest  of  Chile, 
which  was  already  famous  for  its  abundance  of  gold.  The 
name,  Chile,  according  to  some,  is  derived  from  chiri,  from 
chichua  (cold),  from  the  snows  on  the  mountains  which  the 
Peruvians  had  to  cross ;  and,  according  to  others,  from  the 
name  of  the  cacique  of  Aconcagua,  in  the  time  of.  the  Spanish 
invasion. 


43 

The  incas  h^d  conquered  the  country,  as  far  south  as  the 
Maule  River,  a  century  before,  and  had  established  a  kind  of 
valley  confederation.  They  had  manufactories  of  pottery  and 
coarse  fabrics  at  Melipilla,  Talagante,  and  the  Mapocho  River, 
the  ruins  of  which  are  yet  visible.  They  worked  the  rich  gold 
mines  and  washings,  which,  according  to  Rosalis,  paid  the 
inca  at  Cuzco  an  annual  tribute  of  14^  arrobas  of  gold  (312^ 
pounds).  They  marked  the  ingots  with  the  breasts  of  a 
woman. 

The  incas  erected  temples  to  the  sun  in  Quillota,  Colina, 
and  other  places;  introduced  the  llama  as  a  beast  of  burden, 
and  opened  canals,  as  that  of  Salto,  which  still  irrigates  the 
plain  of  Santiago.  The  dominion  of  the  incas,  by  rights, 
extended  to  the  Maule.  They  defended  with  great  firmness 
the  valley  of  the  Mapocho,  with  forces  summoned  from  Cal- 
lipiumo,  in  Paine  pass,  to  the  south  of  the  Cachapoal,  which 
proves  that  really  their  dominion  only  extended  to  the  northern 
bank  of  this  river. 

It  is  curious  that  Chilli  means  cold  in  Quichua  and  the 
same  (chilly)  in  English  ;  and  also  that  the  first  Spaniard  to 
penetrate  into  the  interior  was  not  Almagro,  but  a  soldier 
named  Pedro  Calvo  Barrientos,  whose  ears  had  been  cut  off  in 
Cuzco  for  some  crime,  and  who  came  to  hide  his  dishonor  in 
the  valley  of  the  Aconcagua,  to  whose  caciques  he  taught 
the  art  of  war.  Almagro  did  not  get  any  farther  than 
Aconcagua  and  Melipilla,  where  he  found  a  little  gold.  His 
captain,  Gomez  de  Alvarado,  having  notified  him  that  the 
rivers  to  the  south,  in  such  a  hard  winter  ( 1 5  36),  would  be  found 
impassable,  and  the  frontiers  of  the  ferocious  Promauca  Indians 
who  lived  from  the  Cachapoal  to  the  Bio-Bio,  defended,  he 
returned  to  Cuzco  by  way  of  the  desert  of  Atacama,  Tarapaca 
and  Arequipa,  meeting  with  great  hardships.  He  was  beheaded 
by  his  ungrateful  rivals  in  1538. 

Captain  Pedro  de  Valdivia,  who  was  more  youthful  and 
vigorous,  asked  permission  of  Pizarro  to  go  and  settle  Chile 
in  his  name.  Leaving  Cuzco  \vith  a  hundred  and  forty 
soldiers,  in  October,  1540,  he  founded  Santiago,  February 
12,  1 541.     This  great  explorer  traversed  the  whole  country, 


44 

and  subdued  it  as  far  as  the  city  of  Valdivia.  He  took 
away  large  quantities  of  gold,  which  soon  attracted  a  numer- 
ous immigration.  He  founded  Serena,  Valparaiso,  Concepcion, 
and  seven  cities  in  Araucania,  which  were  then  the  principal 
ones  of  Chile.  Their  ruins  still  exist,  and  are  being  repeopled 
slowly  by  the  Chileans,  as  Angol,  Imperial,  Villa  Rica  and 
Arauco.  But  the  Araucanian  Indians — brave,  indomitable, 
and  excellent  horsemen,  like  the  Apaches  of  New  Mexico — 
revolted,  and  killed  Valdivia  near  this  last-named  city,  on 
Christmas  Eve,  1553.  From  this  date  the  decadence  of  the 
colony  began. 

During  the  reign  of  Philip  III.  several  illustrious  captains, 
such  as  Garcia  Ramon  (1600)  and  Alfonso  de  Rivera  (161 2), 
came  from  Spain,  and  succeeded  in  somewhat  allaying  the 
eternal  rebellion  of  these  savages,  who,  during  the  first  century 
of  the  conquest,  cost  Spain  a  hundred  thousand  lives  and 
eighty  million  ducats. 

During  the  seventeenth  century  there  were  several  notable 
administrators  and  warriors,  among  them  Fernandez  de  Cor- 
dova (1625),  Lazo  de  la  Vega  (1629),  the  Marquis  of  Baides 
(1646),  and,  especially,  Don  Juan  Henriques,  who  governed 
in  the  time  of  Charles  II.  (1670).  Under  the  government  of 
his  successor,  Jose  de  Garro,  called  "  the  Holy  "  because  of 
his  probity  and  disinterestedness,  the  kingdom  was  afflicted 
by  an  invasion  of  buccaneers  (1680-85),  and  having  been 
before  greatly  injured  by  the  earthquake  of  1647,  the  previous 
wars,  pestilence,  and  droughts,  it  was  now  determined  to  relin- 
quish it;  so  it  was  totally  abandoned  to  its  ancient  barbarous 
possessors.  The  seventeenth  century  was  the  dark  age  for  the 
colony. 

It  is  worthy  of  observation,  that,  among  the  Spanish  pos- 
sessions of  the  new  world,  Chile  and  New  Grenada  alone 
received  the  name  of  "  kingdom."  Peru,  the  Plate,  and  even 
Mexico,  were  only  vice-royalties. 

During  the  eighteenth  century  several  important  fran- 
chises were  granted  to  commerce,  and  the  richness  of  the  gold 
mines  attracted  a  strong  current  of  economical  working-people 
from  Biscay;  and,  with  this  labor  and  honesty,  the  colony  gained 


45 

groat  prosperity.  Presidents  Manso,  Amat,  O'Higgins  and 
JauregLii, — all  of  whom  were  afterwards  viceroys  of  Peru, — 
distinguished  themselves  among  its  captains-general  as  able 
administrators.  It  is  owing  to  the  energy  which  the  riches 
and  prosperity  produced  in  the  colonial  aristocracy,  that  Chile 
raised,  in  conjunction  w^ith  Buenos  Ayres,  Caracas  and  Bogota, 
the  cry  of  independence,  and  named  its  first  President  and  Gov- 
erning Assembly  September  i8,  1810.  There  followed  an  unset- 
tled and  discordant  period  called  the  "Old  Country,"  in  which 
the  viceroy  of  Peru,  Abascal,  was  permitted  to  govern  the 
country  again.  His  successor,  Pesuela,  sent  an  army  to  sub- 
due the  country,  which,  under  the  command  of  General  Ossorio, 
overthrew  the  patriot  forces  at  Rancagua  October  2,  18 14. 
But  San  Martin,  governor  of  Mendoza,  with  the  remnant  of 
the  Chilean  army,  which  had  fled  across  the  Andes,  and  the 
generous  assistance  of  Buenos  Ayres,  formed  a  division 
of  four  thousand  men,  and  making  use  of  seven  thou- 
sand mules  and  three  thousand  horses,'  he  crossed  the 
Andes  of  Aconcagua,  as  Hannibal  had  crossed  the  Alps, 
in  January,  1 8 17,  and  completely  overthrew  the  Span- 
iards in  the  battles  of  Chacabuco  (February  12,1817)  and 
Maipo  (April  5,  18 18).  This  era  has  been  called  the  "  New 
Country."  General  O'Higgins  was  named  dictator  February 
16,  18 17,  and  accomplished  the  independence  of  Peru,  San 
Martin  advancing  to  Lima  with  the  united  armies  of  Chile  and 
La  Plata,  July  21,  1821.  He  declared  the  independence  of 
Peru  the  28th  of  the  same  month.  He  had  been  powerfully 
assisted  by  the  Chilean  squadron,  commanded  by  the  famous 
Lord  Cochrane  and  the  young  admiral  Blanco  Encalada. 
But  after  San  Martin  had  left,  and  O'Higgins  had  been  super- 
seded, by  a  popular  movement,  January  28,  1823,  there  fol- 
lowed a  series  of  political  fluctuations  and  trials  caused  chiefly 
by  Presidents  Freire,  Pinto,  and  Vicuna,  until  the  liberal  or 
pipiolos  administration  was  overthrown  by  the  old  conservative 
or  pehico7ies  party  of  O'Higgins,  under  the  command  of  Gen- 
eral Prieto  and  his  counsellor,  Diego  Portales,  in  the  bloody 
battle  of  Lircai,  April  17,  1830. 

Prieto,  the  victorious   eeneral,  was   named  constitutional 


46 

president,  for  the  defense  of  the  conservative  constitution, 
which  was  promulgated  May  25,  1833.  Portales  was  made 
his  Prime  Minister.  He  had  been  simply  a  merchant  in  San- 
tiago and  Lima,  but  succeeded  in  governing  the  country  until 
Peru  was  in  war  a  second  time  in  1836.  This  powerful  minister 
was  murdered  in  a  mutiny  of  the  expeditionary  troops  (June 
6,  1837).  Chile  continued  the  war  under  the  command  of 
General  Bulnes,  who  had  been  one  of  the  chief  founders  of 
the  Republic.  He  was  always  victorious,  and  overthrew  the 
Peru-Bolivian  confederation,  destroying  its  army  under  Santa 
Cruz  in  the  celebrated  battle  of  Yungai  (January  20,  1839). 

Through  this  means  the  political  parties  of  Chile  were 
reconciled  and  the  victorious  general  was  elected  president. 
And  from  that  time  an  epoch  of  aggrandizement  and  prosperity 
began  for  Chile.  For  fifty  years  this  prosperity  has  had  but 
brief  interruptions  (185  I  and  1859)  caused  by  political  contro- 
versies and  bad  passions  at  election  times.  In  great  contrast 
with  all  the  other  republics  of  the  Spanish  race,  the  presidents, 
Prieto,  Bulnes,  Montt  and  Perez  each  ruled  for  the  constitu- 
tional period  of  ten  years.  During  the  term  of  the  last-named, 
the  war  between  Spain  and  Peru  (1865-66)  took  place.  Chile 
generously  rushed  to  the  defense  of  Peru,  and  spent  uselessly 
;^30,ooo,000,  and  allowed  its  principal  port  to  be  bombarded 
rather  than  dishonor  her  flag  before  the  Spanish  Government 
and  Admiral  Mendez  Nunez. 

The  Constitution  of  1833  was  reformed  by  the  liberal 
Congresses  which  sat  during  the  administration  of  President 
Perez.  The  term  of  the  presidential  office  was  limited  to  five 
years.  Then  followed  President  Federico  Errazuris,  who 
began  the  great  public  works,  and  armed  the  country  1871-76; 
and  Anibal  Pinto,  whose  administration  is  chiefly  notable  for 
the  war  into  which  the  country  was  drawn  in  1879  (and  which 
still  continues)  in  consequence  of  a  secret  treaty  against  her, 
made  between  Peru  and  Bolivia  in  1873,  but  not  discovered 
until  seven  years  later. 

In  this  long  war  Chile  has  only  received  victory,  pres- 
tige and  riches,  which  have  placed  it  along  with  the  Argen- 
tine Republic  at  the  iiead  of  all  tiic  nations  of  like  origin. 


47 

The  port  of  Antofagasta  was  occupied  February  14,  1879, 
and  some  Bolivian  skirmishers  dispersed  in  a  sHght  engage- 
ment at  Calama  on  the  banks  of  the  Loa,  on  the  23d  of  the 
following  March.  A  maritime  war  was  begun,  but  was  with- 
out decisive  results  until  the  capture  of  the  famous  Peruvian 
monitor  Huascar  before  Angamos  Point,  October  8  of  the 
same  year.  The  ocean  thus  freed  from  the  enemy's  vessels, 
ten  thousand  Chilean  soldiers  were  landed  at  Pisagua,  a  port 
of  Tarapaca,  November  2,  1879,  and  in  the  battle  of  San  Fran- 
cisco one-half  of  this  force  overthrew  the  allied  Peruvian  and 
Bolivian  army  of  eleven  thousand  men.  From  that  day  Chile 
has  remained  in  peaceful  possession  of  all  this  rich  and  desir- 
able territory  as  far  as  the  Camarones  River.  After  these 
victories  the  operations  of  the  army  were  retarded  by  vain 
hopes  of  peace,  and  it  became  necessary  to  undertake  a  second 
campaign  against  the  provinces  of  Moquehua  and  Tacna, 
which  resulted  in  the  bloody  battle  of  Tacna,  in  which  the 
allies  were  again  defeated  May  26,  1880.  Twenty  thousand 
combatants  were  engaged  on  the  two  sides. 

The  port  of  Arica  was  taken  by  assault  at  the  point  of 
the  bayonet,  the  7th  of  the  following  June ;  and  although 
it  would  have  been  an  easy  and  opportune  undertaking  to 
carry  the  victory  into  unarmed  and  panic-stricken  Lima,  new- 
negotiations  of  peace  were  entered  upon  which  delayed  the 
result,  and  protracted  the  definitive  campaign  through  eight 
months  more.  At  the  end  of  December,  1880,  25,000  Chile- 
ans set  sail  in  three  divisions  from  Arica.  They  occupied  the 
valley  of  the  Lurin  strategically  to  the  end  of  this  month. 
They  then  undertook  the  assault  of  the  formidable  works,  which 
were  defended  by  30,000  men  and  200  cannon,  and  protected 
Lima.  The  17th  of  January,  1881,  they  victoriously  entered 
that  capital  for  the  third  time  during  the  century,  after  having 
totally  annihilated  both  the  army  and  the  squadron  on  the 
previous  days,  the  13th  and  15th,  in  the  celebrated  battles  of 
San  Juan,  Chorillos,  and  Miraflores, — the  most  bloody  and 
greatest  that  have  ever  taken  place  in  South  America. 

The  three  campaigns  of  Antofagasta,  Tacna,  and  Lima, 
which  brought  about  ten  combats  and  battles,  besides  several 


48 

other  encounters  and  blockades,  cost  the  army  and  navy 
of  Chile  10,000  men  in  killed  and  wounded,  without  counting 
the  considerable  number  of  sick  and  disabled,  caused  by  the 
unhealthy  climate  of  Peru. 

The  cost  of  the  war  has  been  ^30,000,000,  not  counting 
the  indirect  losses,  which  have,  perhaps,  been  twice  as  much. 
These  losses,  and  the  total  extinction  of  the  military  power  of 
Peru,  should  have  produced  immediate  peace  after  the  decisive 
battles  which  took  place  at  Lima.  But  a  generous  and  equivo- 
cal policy  on  the  part. of  Chile,  and  the  unreasonable  and 
unwarranted  interference  on  the  part  of  Secretary  Blaine,  of 
the  United  States,  which  effected,  by  means  of  his  agents, 
Hurlbut  in  Lima,  and  Adams  in  La  Paz,  have  caused  the  war 
to  be  indefinitely  prolonged,  thus  imposing  heavy  expenses  of 
money  and  life  on  Chile,  without  bettering,  in  the  least,  the 
defenders,  who  are  spending  their  last  strength  in  desperation, 
and  without  causing  the  least  manifestation  of  inability  on  the 
part  of  the  victor  to  maintain  her  interests,  her  future,  and  her 
security,  and,  much  less,  to  accept  the  forced  intervention  of 
any  neutral  power,  European  or  American. 

B.  V.  M. 


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